This year’s Christmas Country Fair will be held on October 30 and 31 at Collisheen Estate, inland from Ballito.

The 2019 Fair will be the 67th annual fair organised and curated by the KZN North Coast fundraising organisation, the Christmas Fair Fund.

From small beginnings in 1952 in the Stanger (KwaDukuza) town hall, the fair has grown to one of the biggest and most sophisticated events of its kind in KZN.

Collisheen Estate has hosted the fair for the last 16 years, and visitors have come to expect high quality, uniquely South African and handcrafted merchandise offered by vendors from across the country.

The first fair was organised around Christmas time by Shirley Jex and a group of concerned local ladies, to raise funds for a car for the district nurse.

Selling homemade, hand knitted, delicately painted wares and fresh produce from local farmers, the fair raised the princely sum of 500 Pounds.

This outstanding result encouraged the ladies to make the fair an annual fundraising event for the support of many needy causes in the area. And the name of the organisation, the Christmas Fair Fund, was coined.

After many years in the Stanger town hall, the fair was eventually moved to the Darnall Country Club.

Later the decision was made to move the event closer to the hub that Ballito was becoming, and after a few years at the Shortens Country House, Umhlali Country Club, Shakaskraal community hall, the fair finally found its home at the beautiful Collisheen Estate 16 years ago.

The manicured gardens, mature shady trees and beautiful country setting offer the ultimate venue for the Fair with Flair.

For more information, contact Michelle Blake on michelle@thechristmasfairfund.co.za.