Herald Reporter
JEFFREYS Bay is gearing up for the annual Shell Festival which takes place this weekend.
This year's festival will see more sport added to the mix as part of the Kouga region's drive to establish itself as a beach and watersport destination.
Back for the second consecutive year will be the South African Beach Volleyball Open, which is once again expected to draw top players from across the country to Jeffreys Bay's Blue Flag main beach.
Full use will also be made of the town's idyllic surf, with the first Shell Surf Challenge set to take place at Kitchen Windows.
The competition will take place on Saturday and Sunday to allow the organisers the opportunity to capitalise on the best surfing conditions of the weekend.
Open-water swimming will be another highlight on this year's programme, with 30 swimmers participating in the first Shell Festival Beach-break Swim. The swim – which starts at the beach-break opposite Checkers at 9am – ends at the main beach.
Thirty experienced open-water swimmers will be taking part in the first Shell Festival Beach-break Swim.
Festival-goers will also be treated to one of the latest crazes to hit streets worldwide – flash mobs.
The Funky Town Flash Mob will be held at the festival terrain at 3pm on Saturday.
A Cultural Village will showcase traditional music, dancing, arts and crafts. There will also be a flea market, arts and craft stalls and plenty of good food.
Eateries will create a street-cafe buzz while a special area in Da Gama Road has been made available to local businesses wanting to promote and sell their wares and services.
Other activities that will also take place are the Dive Fest at the Ski Boat Club and the Jeffreys Bay RFC tournament at the Pellsrus sports field.
