Happily there are a number of Christmas markets at hand to make your gift hunt more bearable and ensure that you come away with something vaguely unique. Here are some of the best options:
27 Boxes Night Market
Half of the problem with Christmas shopping is finding the time to do it. For many people, the majority of one’s day is spent festering in a cubicle wishing your office WiFi was faster.
Realising that this raises complications for some, the organisers of 27 Boxes have given customers a chance to sample their wares after office hours.
Launching tonight, the 27 Boxes Night Market will offer craft trinkets in conjunction with music, food and art – thus providing an alternative to landing up in the local dive bar nursing a beer and listening to the tale of Debbie from accounts and her recalcitrant cat.
Beechwood Gardens Charity Lunch
Few things could be more relaxing than doing your Christmas shopping in the South African version of Mr D’Arcy’s garden – and this year’s Beechwood Gardens Charity Lunch gives you the chance to do just that.
Aside from a gourmet alfresco meal under magnolia trees, the lunch will offer a buffet of Christmas gifts as well as a chance to tour the gardens and rub shoulders with fancy people.
Glenshiel Christmas Fair
You hardly need another reason to wander the magnificent Glenshiel grounds overlooking the rolling purple Jacaranda sea that Joburg becomes at the end of October.
But the Glenshiel Christmas Fair offers a few extras on sale: A selection of wines auctioned in the car park, linen, ceramics, gourmet foods, shoes, clothing, jewellery, decor, designer bags, swimwear, plants, belts, beadwork, toys, scarves, Christmas cakes and puddings and decorations.
You can enjoy delicious drinks and food in the garden and it’s all in aid of charity.
Kamers Vol Geskenke:
As one of the biggest nomadic markets in the country, Kamers Vol Geskenke has become a Mecca for those in search of locally sourced bric-a-brac.
Stocking everything from handmade jewellery and lace-pressed porcelain to local fashion designs, Kamers (as it is known) is a nifty way to make sure you get something that whispers “thoughtful”.
Couple that with a splash of music and hearty serving of foodie-friendly treats and it is hard to see why one would pop into a mall for your Christmas debt-growing exercise.
Parkview Christmas Market
Now in its 10th year, the Parkview Christmas Market is more family friendly than the latest Disney movie. While there are all manner of bits and bobs on sale the main focus of the market is on charity and putting on a show. As such there will be plenty of entertainment from school choirs to Spanish dancing and marimbas. There will also be a number of community outreach programmes that one can sign up for. Oh and don’t forget their famous champagne and oysters.
