Holiday fun

THE Easter school break is upon us. Coastal schools will close on March 31 and reopen on April 12.

A host of family activities have been planned across Durban and surrounding areas.

Here are some ideas of what’s on over the break, and up until the end of April.

Kids:

◆ Flag Animal Farm hosts fun and interactive activities during the holiday period. These include a wolf interaction, a milking of the cow show, a reptile show and handling, pony/horse rides, tractor rides, animals feeds and a splash water park. There are also plenty of playgrounds, a bike track, a pirate ship, kiddies zip line and more. You can picnic or braai, or visit the coffee shop on-site. Flag Animal Farm is a 35-minute drive north of Durban and close to Ballito. The farm is open seven days a week from 9am until 4.30pm, and the splash water park is open daily for the holidays/weekends and public holidays in different time slots. For more information, visit Facebook: Flag Animal Farm. Reception 032 947 2018.

◆ Mud Kids Holiday Club will take place in Durban North from April 3 to 6 from 8am to noon. There will be sensory play, and educational and outdoor fun by qualified teachers. Costs R180 per day or R600 for all four days. Book via Amy at 061 735 9134 or Tammy at 072 594 9333.

◆ Dino Park SA will host an Alice in Dinoland Easter party. Take a walk with dinosaurs and take photos with the Easter Bunny and Alice in Wonderland characters. Easter missions and an Easter egg hunt will be held on April 9. Sessions: 10am to 12pm; and 12pm to 2pm. Costs R120 a child. Families are welcome to dress up as their favourite characters. Bookings via info@dinoparksa.co.za or WhatsApp 084 620 1644. For more information, visit Facebook: Dino Park SA.

Outdoor:

◆ The KwaZulu-Natal Museum in Pietermaritzburg will host an educational showcase on reptiles that is suitable for the entire family. Experience nature in its truest form with a live presentation by Reptile Party Time, featuring tarantulas, lizards and a giant python. It will be held from April 1 from 10am to 11am and from 12pm to 1pm. Costs R30 a person.

Tickets at www.webtickets.co.za For more information, visit Facebook: KwaZulu-Natal Museum

◆ Durban Walking Tours: There will be a four-hour-kids activity tour on April 3 and 5. It is perfect for kids (and adults) from age 4 and upwards who want to learn more about nature and the environment, and explore the sights of Durban. With plenty of information to learn, the tour is educational and fun. Costs R220 a person, which includes a bus and boat ride. Book at www.durbanwalkingtours.co.za or via info@durbanwalkingtours.co.za

◆ Movies under the stars: Relive the magic of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on the big screen on April 8 at 7pm. Skyrem Events will host a fund-raising outdoor movie night at Park Square in uMhlanga. Profits from ticket sales will be donated to the Umhlanga Women’s Association, a nonprofit organisation focusing on women and youth empowerment, education, and service. Dress up in

your best wizarding world gear and watch Harry Potter with your loved ones. Pack a picnic and carry your camp chairs, pillows and blankets. Gates open at 5pm. Tickets are available at R90 from Quicket.

Family:

◆ Musician Priya Boshoff will perform live for two hours together with a double bassist and pianist at a family-oriented Easter Sunday buffet lunch at Willow Way Manor in Hillcrest, Assagay. Doors open at 11am. The buffet starts at 12pm and ends at 3pm. Live music will be from 12pm to 2pm. Adults R395 per person, children aged 3 to 6 years, R150; and 6 to 12 years, R250. Children under 3 eat free. Prices include lunch, a live music performance and an Easter egg hunt. Email for bookings: info@willowwaymanor.co.za and bookings confirmed on payment.

◆ The Durban Christian Centre South will host Easter Wonderland from April 6 to 9, at 6pm at the Bluff Eco-Park (55 Grays Inn Road). Enjoy Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a train ride to an Easter egg hunt in “Fantasy Garden”, a live stage production, Easter market and food stalls, and an outdoor coffee garden. The entry fee is R20 per person and R10 per car. Tickets are available on Quicket and at the gate (the online booking fee is R5 per person). For more information, call 031 467 0457 or WhatsApp 081 563 6960.

◆ Handel’s choral masterpiece, Messiah, will make an Easter Sunday return to the Playhouse stage on April 9. It is directed by Ralph Lawson and will include a line-up of South African soloists, with the Playhouse Chorale performing under the direction of Juan Burgers. Tickets are available via Webtickets. For more information, see Facebook: The Playhouse Company.

◆ The Bee Gees Night Fever will be held at the iZulu Theatre at Sibaya Casino until April 10. Expect all the disco dance floor-fillers, smooth 1970s ballads and 1960s pop standards, including Stayin’ Alive, Jive Talkin’, You Should Be Dancin’, How Deep Is Your Love, More Than a Woman, Night Fever, Tragedy, If I Can't Have You, To Love Somebody, Immortality, Guilty, and Massachusetts. Tickets are available at www.ticketpros.co.za For more information, see Facebook: The Bee Gees Night Fever.

Festivals and markets:

◆ The Durban Festival of Chariots takes place on April 7 at the Amphitheatre on North Beach. The one-day festival will begin at 11am There will be conscious entertainment, a vegan and veg food fair, a kids carnival, arts and crafts, a cultural boutique, and free vegan meals. The chariot parade will begin at 3pm. Evening entertainment includes the drama The Divine Song by international director Bhaktimarga Swami, a fireworks display and a sacred sound party, which will end at 9pm. For more information, see Facebook.

◆ Beach Bums Restaurant Market Day will take place on April 2 on Casuarina Beach, north of Durban. There will be vendors, jumping castle, kiddies arenas, bands, food and drink. For more information, visit Facebook: Beach Bums.

◆ The Buzz Market will be held at 38 Pitlochry Road, Westville, next to the Garden Centre, on Saturdays from 9am to 2pm. The Buzz Market is a local community market that started out of necessity during the Covid-19 lockdown. It is now a regular Saturday feature. Find unique and authentic gifts, organic vegetables, clothing, treats including brownies, biscotti, muffins and malva pudding, and home-made sauces, decor and jewellery and second-hand books. For more information, email info@ buzzmarket.co.za