Get ready for the Umhlanga Summer Festival?

The seventh uMhlanga Summer Festival gets underway with the season gaining momentum shortly after the KZN schools close for the year.

The festival starts on December 10 and lasts until the 23rd, with plenty of action to keep you engaged in between.

The annual Lizzard Surf Championship supported by Hurricane Surf is the first event of the season on the Umhlanga main beach, taking place on December 10 and 11.

The Beach Festival starts on December 12 and continues until December 23, where people are encouraged to participate and join in the fun and games on the magnificent uMhlanga Millennium Stage with daily activities planned around the main beach as well as on the stage

The second event is the Mr and Miss uMhlanga Beauty Pageant hosted by Just Juice, this year’s finalist will be crowned on Friday, December 16 on the Millennium Stage.

The event is open to 100 participants and hopeful contestants are invited to enter, entry forms are available on www.umhlangafestivals.co.za or at the uMhlanga Tourism office or you can pick a form up from the Just Juice promoters on the beach.

The popular Carols by Candlelight evening at Granada Square will be held on Thursday, December 15.

The event takes place under the stars in the courtyard square of the hottest spot on the uMhlanga strip and Father Christmas will be arriving in style riding on the back of a shiny Harley Davidson.

Carollers are invited to bring an unwrapped toy that will be gifted to an under privilege child coordinated by Rotary Umhlanga.

The growing sport of trail running starts as the sun rises on Sunday, December 18 when hundreds of runners and walkers will take to the trails to participate in the December uMhlanga Tourism Trail Run and Walk in conjunction with Riverside Trails.

Three routes will challenge runners of varying fitness, with the longest tackling single tracks, hills and rivers over a distance of 18km or the shorter 12 km, then for the less experienced there’s the gentler 5km distance.

The entry fees for the trail runs are R140 for 18km, R120 for 12km and R70 for the 5km for all online entries.

Online entries close on Thursday, December 15. Late entries on the day are R20 extra for all distances. Parking is available along Lagoon Drive.

For more info visit www.umhlangatrailrun.co.za or to enter, go to www.roag.co.za

For more info about the Umhlanga Summer Festival please visit www.umhlangatourism.co.za or like the uMhlanga Tourism Facebook page.