Grahamstown celebrates the arts in South Africa once a year – and now Cradock, another key Eastern Cape town, has its own festival devoted to the lives and output of Karoo writers. The country’s newest annual festival, the Schreiner Karoo Writers Festival, takes place in Cradock from July 8 to 10.

FREDDIE Ferarri, in a glitzy smoking jacket and Tintin haircut, has just finished a brilliantly executed classical piano piece, taking the audience to audio ecstasy. As he exits the stage, the lights dim.

The 2011 Absa Fugard Festival is back; bigger and better than ever before. Billed to be the world's biggest Fugard Festival, this year's event will run from 23 to 26 September 2011 with several spectacular attractions. From very humble beginnings, the Festival has grown in leaps and bounds over the last two years to become a major event on the arts scene.

THERE have been quite a few exciting changes at the charming Art Deco-styled Karroo Theatrical Hotel on the outskirts of Steytlerville in recent months, starting with a fresh new version of their popular Steytlerville Follies dinner theatre show.

CRADOCK came to life yesterday as more than 1700 paddlers flocked into the Karoo town ahead of the start of the Hansa-Powerade Fish River Canoe Marathon today. Competitors face blistering hot conditions this year, with the temperature expected to reach a high of 36°C on the first day of the two-day event.

A PROJECT to "farm carbon", a 21st-century enterprise sparked by climate change, is being mooted as a possible alternative to gas mining in the Karoo. News of the project emerged at a fiery meeting in Pearston last week, hosted by the gas exploration company Bundu, which saw hot dispute among farmers, government representatives and Bundu officials on the environmental and social merits of exploring and possibly drilling for gas.

Ganora had some heavy snowfall - Great Excitement - It started on Monday 4 June 2010 at approx 20:00. Snow fell intermittendly throughout the night and in the morning it was about 30cm thick.

AFTER ignoring maybe even neglecting it for many years, Nieu Bethesda's authorities are taking good care of outsider artist Helen Martin's amazing Owl House these days.

FOUR members of South Africa's national bird species, rescued from illegal captivity and rehabilitated in Port Elizabeth, were released into the wild yesterday. Blue cranes are – along with the Cape parrot – among the country’s indigenous birds most heavily targeted by smugglers.

"Kom, kêrels!" roep Jakob van Staden en piets die donkies liggies op die boude. Karools en Vellies vertrek op 'n drafstappie met die donkiekarretjie deur Nieu-Bethesda se strate. Terwyl ons rustig Jakob se begeleide donkiekartoer meemaak, jaag besoekers die dorp in, besoek die Uilhuis en jaag weer uit. Ek wonder hoeveel van hulle werklik die dorp ervaar. Soos die vrou van Gauteng in haar luukse Duitse 4x4 wat fotos van die dorp deur die voorruit neem. Dalk was die somerhitte en die stofstrate vir haar een te veel.