It started
with the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, followed by the blessing of rain and
then two and a half days of clear Karoo skies – the 2022 SPAR Kirkwood
Wildsfees is back on the Eastern Cape entertainment and tourism map.
“Friday got
off to a slow start due to the rain which thankfully let up after lunch. Saturday
was a near record crowd, and it was delightful to see family and friends
enjoying themselves on the Sunday,” said SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees director Jenni
Honsbein.
“For me it
was wonderful seeing people getting together again in the spirit of friendship,”
says SPAR Eastern Cape sponsorships and events manager Alan
Stapleton.
“We saw people celebrating friendship, and the community
coming together to celebrate the end of two years of Covid restrictions.
“Congratulations to the Wildsfees team for pulling
everything together under very difficult conditions and uncertainty right up to
the last minute,” he added.
The annual
SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees was cancelled in 2020 and 2021, with a skeleton team
keeping it alive.
“We had the
finances to continue thanks to the foresight of the Wildsfees board, who were
determined to keep the community-owned festival alive.
“Also,
thanks to the artists, who kept their diaries open for the festival for two
years,” said Honsbein.
“This year
was a foretaste of great things to come. We have shaken off the cobwebs and
will start planning 2023 within the next month.
“We already
have plenty of plans to make it an even better experience in 2023,” she added.
