Right from the get go visitors were treated to everything Avo – at the gate visitors walked into an Avo nursery where they could learn from experts what goes on in an Avo nursery. From there visitors could taste avo milkshake made with Maluma Avocados. This was followed by a host of avo-related agricultural exhibits including TimacAgro, Afrupro, Westfalia, Forever Solar, Agricolleges International, Noordchem, Kaap Agri, MartinDale Seedlings, Pest Control and more. Various vehicle manufacturers also exhibited, with the new Amarok V6, Toyota Dakar Edition and Mercedes X-class leading the pack.
Renowned chef Gerhard Koekemoer tantalised the taste buds of visitors with food tastings at regular intervals throughout the festival creating amazing avo dishes including avo-choc mouse, avo-blueberry bread. He also paired up with Clemengold Gin on the Thursday evening to host a ‘dialogue’ between avocado and gin where guests could taste a starter, main and dessert celebrating the avocado.
The halls of the Tzaneen Showgrounds were filled with Belly Blessings - for parents and grandparents of new babies and babies to be, artists with paintings and pottery around an avo theme and many other amazing exhibits.
Eating and drinking and enjoying life together was part and parcel of the festival with, amongst others, SAB, craft beer from Zwakala, craft gin by Clemengold Gin and Blueberry Gin, an avo Restaurant by Allesbeste, an avo tea garden serving avo cheesecake. Visitors feasted while Gert Bos provided the music and there were even pre-school drum majorettes and country dancers to wow the crowds.
On the Saturday a blanket drive was held and local bikers gained free entrance with blankets going to Noah’s Ark, a local home for orphaned children.
Although only in its infancy, the Tzaneen AvoFest has all the makings to become the world’s avocado showcase and a meeting point for the international avocado industry. Next year the festival will be even bigger and better, if one is to go by the feedback from festival goers, the organisers and various role players in the avocado industry who visited to scope out the festival and confirm their involvement in 2019.
Johann Fourie
Tzaneen Avo Festival
Tel: +27 82 823 1074
Email: avofees@gmail.com / avofeesvendors@gmail.com