It’s been almost two years since the VKB Bieliemielie festival last took place. With a variety of attractions catering for just about everybody, February 2022 is about to be a blast. The coolest festival in the Free State is back with a bang!
Cattle exhibitions, concerts and competitions are only a few of the things in store for Bieliemielie festival goers. The annual event, held every February in the town of Reitz, took a forced break last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Anelie Swemmer, the image and sponsorship coordinator at VKB Agriculture, tells Food For Mzansi that she is looking forward to the festivities. She says the festival is all about family.
“Bieliemilie is really well known as a family event. So, mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and children can all come and enjoy themselves. There’s just a whole lot of things for the whole family to do, every year.”
The 2022 event will be the 42nd annual festival, promising to live up to all your expectations. The festival starts on Tuesday, 24 February 2022, and will have everyone entertained up until Sunday, 27 February. It is the Free State’s fourth largest festival and has attracted around 17 000 people every year.
“The Bieliemilie has a real platteland atmosphere, you know? Its just a really nice festival to [attend] and the food is outstanding. Everywhere you look, people are laughing and just enjoying themselves,” says Swemmer.
Enjoyment is certainly the focus at Bieliemielie. Here are some of the scheduled attractions:
The very best of Afrikaans music
Bieliemielie brings you the best local talent every year. As usual, next year’s line-up is packed with your favourite music stars, including Drie van die Bestes, Jan Jan Jan, Christia Visser, Appel, Riana Nel, Riaan Benade, Early B, Ivan Roux, Bernice West and Sunset Sweatshop.
Face painting, a children’s playground, and Buster and Bella are there to make sure your young ones are having the time of their lives while you explore everything the festival has to offer.
Farmers will be showing off the very best of their stock at the cattle exhibition, with the SA Vleismerino show revealing the country’s most beautiful sheep.
Speaking of sheep, check out the sheep shearing competition to find out who the best shearer in town is, and don’t forget to stick around for the wool carrying competition. (Trust us, it is heavier than it looks).
Interested in farm sports? Join the stars of Binnelanders and Getroud met Rugby in games involving stripped bags, eggs, goat dung, tractor tires and more.
And if relaxation is more your speed, feel free to catch a hand, foot or neck massage at the Women’s Hall.
Plus, play some sport
There are a range of sport events taking place for the more active people among us. Sportspeople can enjoy a cricket match, mountain biking, shooting, golf and fishing, with winners taking home out of this world prizes. Runners can take part in the Bieliemielie festival marathon, which is a qualifier race for both the Comrades and the Two Oceans.
Tickets go on sale as from today, Wednesday, 1 December 2021 on Computicket, and will also be available at the gate.
To get more information, check out www.bieliemie.co.za. The official festival Facebook page is also updated regularly, so be sure to visit it for up-to-date programme information.
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