First Pecan Nut Festival roars with success

BADPLAAS – Cradle of Life recently attracted people from far and wide to join its very first Pecan Festival.

It was a great success with more than 400 people who attended. Endless fun with music, pecan picking, game drives, kids’ entertainment, food and a beer garden kept the festivalgoers on a high.

The Acoustic, Blue Torch and Andrew Kay entertained the crowds, while Kidazzle kept the children busy with face-painting, sandart, jumping castles, cupcake decorating and tractor rides, to name a few. The pecan picking and game drives were a huge success and were fully booked before the day started. Cradle of Life made sure there were enough pregos, hamburgers and roast-pork sarmies to keep the hunger at bay while enjoying a cold one from the beer garden. Children were jumping for joy with slush puppies to sip on and found the boerie on a stick very unique and delicious.

Sarel van Sabie charmed everyone with his demonstrations of what can be done with pecan nuts. He prepared a delicious pecan-nut sauce for ice cream, pecan-nut and spinach pasta, maple bacon and pecan salad as well as a lip-smacking honey pecan-nut butter. Festivalgoers were spoilt for choice with various stalls to browse, offering everything from pecan pies, delectable sauces, beautiful jewellery, ladies accessories to toys for children. The wild-cat sanctuary and restaurant were also one of the main attractions. “I am very happy with the outcome and couldn’t believe that we hosted 400 people. All our offerings such as the pecan picking and game drives were fully booked,” said Wayne Blake, general manager of Cradle of Life.

This festival is marked to make its return next year, so be sure to keep your diary open.