This year’s winter will be ushered in once again by the annual Lobatse International Beef Fest in Lobatse. The festival presents a great opportunity to spend a weekend away with family and friends while indulging in the best beef our country has to offer as well as enjoying other fun filled activities.
The event, to be held at Lobatse Town Park, is a celebration of Botswana’s beef industry. The local industry is revered internationally because of its wholesome and organic products. It has over the years played a key role in Botswana’s economy. The organiser of the event, Barolong Seboni, says the 2014 event was an inaugural success and has set the standard for this year.
“This year we have decided to make the show go on for the whole weekend,” he says. He says there are different activities that will be happening on each day and attendees can be sure of a fun filled relaxed weekend.
“On the first day, there will be an off-road and outdoor exhibition. Although the event is about beef and cattle, it is also about how we enjoy the great outdoor lifestyle at the cattle-post or farm,” he says.
He says for that reason they will be showcasing off-road vehicles or trucks that are mostly suited for the moraka terrain and wilderness. There will also be Outdoor accessories and adventure dealers as well as farm suppliers who will display their wares; camping equipment, Monster truck displays, trailers, jojo tanks, braai stands and borehole equipment among others.
The second and third days of the event will however be different from the first day as the activities will be taken inside the park. “There will be live performances by local artists, food exhibitions, wine tasting, beef braai competitions, beer garden, and a fun park with a carnival set up,” he says.
Seboni says there will be a braai area where outdoor tables, chairs, marquees will be set up. There will also be live entertainment while the last day will be all about Jazz and braai.
“A mid afternoon Jazz festival will be hosted on Sunday,” he says. “One can be sure to also witness and experience all the unique activities you would expect from an event created to celebrate beef such as wine tasting and pairing organised by Botswana’s top class chefs. There will also be a competition in which competitors win prizes for best beef marinades, best boerewors and best beef dish,” he says.
Seboni says the Town Park is perfect for such an event with its pavements, amphitheatre, skate-board rink, braai areas, and children’s playground. He says the historical old Lobatse-Gaborone gravel road traverses the park and it has been kept in its original state.
He calls the festival a premiere lifestyle event that is already a bright spark in the tourism, commercial, social and entertainment calendar of Botswana.
