The countdown to the Mother’s Day fun begins

Only five days to go until the Sappi/Lowvelder Mother’s Day concert in the Lowveld Botanical Garden.

Get your tickets now to avoid missing out on the beautiful Nianell, the golden voices of Forté and guitar master Thean Kotzé.

Entry is free for all women and preschoolers, while pensioners and primary school children pay R20 and adults (and everyone not named) pay R60. The first 500 mothers to enter the venue will each receive a pashmina. Tickets are on sale at Mica Hardware in Nelspruit, the botanical garden entrance gate and Meat Delights German Butchery at Riverside Junction.

Gates will open at 09:00 to give concertgoers time to get comfortable before the entertainment starts at 12:15.

If the artists aren’t your cup of tea (or glass of beer), leave the ladies to it and go on a guided tour of the garden or taste some wine at the fully stocked beverage bar of a well-known cellar. A variety of stalls will tempt you with delicious food and beverages.

There will be plenty of kiddies’ entertainment, sponsored by Sappi Ngodwana Mill and children can participate free of charge. Coca-Cola is sponsoring the set-up of the Fanta Zone. The fun will include jumping castles, Bakers cupcake corner, clivia potting corner, card-making and craft-making.

Lowveld Media will be setting up a complementary photo corner.

J&M Security and City Bug will assist with security, parking and a shuttle service. The two companies agree that this annual concert is a great opportunity for the Lowveld business community to give back to the local community. Jacques Esterhuizen, owner of City Bug, is very proud of the company’s involvement with the concert. “City Bug exists thanks to the support of the Lowveld community. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have been here today. It is an honour to thank our clients in this way, for their loyal support.”

Werner Terblanche of J&M Security agrees that the concert is a very special establishment for their company. “It feels good to be a part of the festive atmosphere and to encounter many of our clients there. We aim to deploy an operational team of 30 at the concert and we’ll do our best to ensure things run as smoothly as possible. It’s great to be of service and we hope people will feel safe and enjoy the day with us.”

J&M will facilitate parking and direct vehicles to the allocated parking areas. People are asked not to leave valuables in their vehicles. The City Bug shuttle service will be free to all concertgoers. Its vehicles will be equipped with trailers to ensure that all picnic supplies get to the venue. The pick-up points will move as the parking area fills up but there will be signs indicting their location. Buses will not stop on the way to pick up pedestrians.

The public is urged to buy tickets in advance as only ticket-holders will be allowed on the shuttle service.

Only people with physical disabilities qualify for special permits allowing their vehicles entry to the garden. These permits need to be collected by Friday (May 9) at the garden’s administrative offices. As a pedestrian safety precaution no other private vehicles will be allowed onto the premises.

For more information on the concert visit wwww.lowvelder.co.za.

We’ve put together a list of essential items you’ll need to enjoy the day:

• A mother – if yours can’t make it, take someone else’s

• Comfortable shoes – in case you want to get up and dance

• A picnic blanket

• Camping chairs

• Picnic basket full of snacks and drinks or an empty one to fill with goodies from the stalls

• Hat and sunblock

• A jersey

• Chocolate

• Umbrella or small gazebo

• Wet wipes