June 23
It’s almost time to lace up for the Durban leg of the SPAR Women’s 10/5km Challenge! Two phenomenal strong, local women are the race ambassadors for this year’s (it’s the 34th running) road race themed #ChooseYou, with its underlying message of motivating YOU, encouraging women to prioritise self-care for mental and physical well-being. Baby Proteas coach and Danville Park Girls’ High School teacher, Precious Mthembu, will be joined by Dr Marise Subrayan, an award-winning obstetrics and gynaecology specialist at St Augustine’s Hospital, on the challenge taking place in and around the Kings Park Stadium on Sunday, June 23. The 10km race starts at 8am and the 5km race at 9am. You can enter online (entries close at midnight on June 16) and it costs R180 for the 10km run, with a KZN Athletics licence, or R230 with a temporary licence, and R180 for the 5km. You can also enter on the day during race registration but it’ll cost you R200 (with licence) and R250 (without licence) for the 10km and R200 for the 5km. There’s prize money up for grabs, and a variety of lucky draw prizes to be won, including a chance to win a car. Details: www.sparwomensrace.co.za/durban. Photo: Starchild Media
June 15 and 16
Don’t miss your chance to enter the 1-mile swim of the 2024 Oceans 8 Charity Swim that unfolds at the Durban Undersea Club on Saturday and Sunday, 15 and 16 June. The 1-mile leg runs over the two days, with four events per day and a maximum of 50 swimmers per event. Swimmers keen to compete in an achievable, open water competition, while raising much-needed funds for charity, pay R150 entrance fee and need to raise R850 which will be split equally between 10 invitational KZN charities that include Adopt-a-River, Caversham Education Institute, CROW, the Game Rangers’ Association of Africa, International Sailors’ Society of Southern Africa, Kerr House, Liberty NPO, One Planet SA, Wildlife ACT and Umduduzi Hospice Care for Children. The Oceans 8 Charity Swim was founded by Duzi Umngeni Conservation Trust (DUCT), the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), Project Rhino and Singakwenza Early Childhood Education, to provide a sustainable flow of funding. The swim has grown into an iconic event that it now includes four and eight mile competitions, but entries for these events have closed. The 1-mile ile entry fee includes a cap and a hand-beaded keyring medal Details: www.oceans8swim.co.za Photo: Anthony Grote
June 29 to July 7
Save the date, for this year’s East Coast Radio House + Garden Show! Creating Happy Homes is the theme and exhibitors have their sights set on providing you with the tricks, tools and know-how to create your own bright and beautiful version of happiness. Over nine busy days, KZN’s largest home and garden show will fill every corner of the Durban Exhibition Centre with all things house, home, garden and everything else in between. There will be activations, giveaways, talks, entertainment, cooking demonstrations, shopping, the best of local makers and so much more. It’s all happening at the Durban Exhibition Centre from June 29 to July 7. Doors are open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 9pm and Sunday from 10am to 8pm. Tickets are priced from R80 to R130. Details: itickets.co.za
June 13
Nothing brings the weekend closer like a Thursday evening dinner and show designed to support local artists. So, why not take a drive up Botha’s Hill to Talloula for a Supper Theatre of note, featuring Judith Hawthorn and Ebenezer Fourie in Glorious Musicals – the songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber. It’s on Thursday, June 13, doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 7pm. Tickets are R485 each and include a delicious meal. Details: To book e-mail [email protected]
June 17
Tennis fans shouldn’t miss the International Tennis Federation (ITF) combined men’s and women’s prize tournaments at Curro Hillcrest during June and July. The Curro Centre Court Series forms part of the ITF World Tennis Tour providing an opportunity for rising local tennis stars to face off against international players. The events are expected to attract a mix of the best South African juniors and local fledgling professionals, as well as international players from across Africa and abroad. Local professional players expected to compete include the country’s top women’s player, Isabella Kruger, and Davis Cup player Philip Henning, to name a few. The first event will be a combined M15 and W15 tournament between June 17 and 23, followed by a combined M25 and W15 competition between June 23 and 30 and a combined M15 and W35 event held between July 1 and 7.
June 21 to 23
For little fans of Ryder and his heroic pup pals, PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue is headed to Durbs this month, so don’t miss the chance to create lifelong memories and give your kids the opportunity to experience this interactive live stage show and engage through call and response and audience interaction, dance the Pup Pup Boogie, and more as they embark on their own imaginative mission to help the pups rescue Mayor Goodway and win the Great Adventure Bay Race! Through a unique storyline and upbeat music, Ryder and the pups share lessons for all ages about citizenship, social skills and problem-solving as they make heroic rescues on their race to the finish line. Classic theatrical scenery, along with a high-tech video wall, visually transports families to an authentic PAW Patrol environment, and it all comes to life at the Durban ICC from June 21 to 23 brought to you by Blu Blood with Paramount Global, VStar Entertainment Group and TEG Life Like Touring in association with East Coast Radio. Details: Tickets for all performances are exclusively available through Ticketpro and SPAR Payzone kiosks.
WIN
We’ve a family set of four tickets, plus meet and greet, to the value of R3400 to give away. To enter…. pop over to the competition post here https://shorturl.at/6mW6x
June 16
Challenge yourself to an extraordinary hike from the Sani Pass border to the Lesotho Drakensberg border to celebrate life! The Sunflower Sky Hike, which started in 2007 as a tribute hike to honour Jade Preston who died of cancer aged eight, has been held annually since, to raise awareness and funds for those with cancer. This year the organisers, Mandy and Ian Tyrer, are challenging the public to join them on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16, for the 17th Sunflower Sky Hike in aid of their son, Jarryd Nurden, a talented musical theatre performer who was diagnosed with a rare carcinoid lung tumour in February 2023, the same day he signed up for his dream West End show, We Will Rock You. Jarryd underwent surgery to remove all traces of the cancer and is still in the healing process, following infection setbacks and more surgery. Entry is R120 a person and proceeds will be shared with Jarryd, the Actors Benevolent Fund and NPO Rainbow & Smiles. All participants to meet at the Sani border post at 7.30am with passports. Dress creatively with sunflowers, and challenge yourself to hike to the highest pub in Africa! It’s about 16kms, or hike as far as you can. Nobody’s counting! Details: To register e-mail Mandy on [email protected]
June 14 to 17
Live music, arts, and culture to delight in … we love it! Don’t miss the action-packed ZA Fest that returns to Manor House in Sheffield boasting South Africa’s largest artisanal Kamers Market. Over four days, the event that caters to every taste and passion, and is suitable for the whole family, will offer visitors a feast for the eyes, ears and taste buds, with a massive display of visual art, an electrifying line-up of brilliant local music talent including the headline act, the Ndlovu Youth Choir, and loads of mouth-watering foodie delights. Little ones can also dive into a world of wonder in the dedicated kiddies’ zone, packed with exciting activities, face painting and creative crafts. Runs from June 14 to 17 and tickets are priced from R100 to R350. Details: webtickets.co.za
July 4 to 9
Up ahead and worth the drive is the 2024 South African International Quilt Festival that will see quilters, fans and delegates from all over the country flock to indulge in this mesmerizing exhibition of intricate stitching, vibrant colours and heartfelt stories woven into each piece of art. Hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal Quilters Guild the event promises expression through quilting in ‘Voices in Cloth’. There will be 500 quilts on display, a judged quilt competition and several special exhibitions (both local and international), as well as a range of workshops offering a variety of teaching and learning skills, shopping and comraderie, lectures and free demonstrations. Visitors can also catch a glimpse of the Red Dress, an award winning global, collaborative embroidery project by British artist Kirstie Macleod that have travelled the globe for 14 years providing an artistic platform for women around the world, many of whom are vulnerable and live in poverty, to tell their personal stories through embroidery. Details: saquiltfest2024.co.za
July 7
The seventh Absa Run Your City Durban 10k returns as one of our most iconic mass participation road runs offering elite and social runners a unique way to explore the city on foot while creating positive change in local communities through the R1 for 1km campaign. For each kilometre run or walked by a Team Absa member on Strava, the bank will donate R1. The event takes place on Sunday, July 7, starting at 8am on Masabalala Yengwa Avenue and finishing along the Golden Mile. Entry is R245 for licenced runners (temporary licence costs R50) and includes Absa branded gear, race number with timing chip, entertainment and refreshments on route and post event, a unique city-specific finisher’s medal. Details: www.runyourcityseries.com Photo: Gavin Ryan
