After a two-year hiatus, Calvinia’s Hantam Vleisfees rocked the high Karoo this past weekend. Getaway was there.
Written by Peter Frost
Wys jou vleis! Thanks to Boerboel Wear’s epic marketing, a tight khaki pant and the requisite attitude has been very much in the public imagination. Cue the Hantam Vleisfees, the embodiment of Boerboel, held this past weekend in Calvinia. Four thousand visitors enjoyed the late winter sun, plenty of meat and a chance to come together again.
Down at the show grounds the party started early, visible across the Hantam – literally from 10 kilometres outside of town – by the fires stoked to grill, braai, toast, smoke, char and carry the smell of carnivores at play. In the streets the poor set up makeshift braais, smousing ribs, smiles and vetkoek, and inside the grounds, the trompoppies welcomed the world, the reil dancers (minus dust) vastrapped for all their worth on the grass, the beer tent was full by 10 and the smattering of English disappeared as the pints were poured.
Sheep dog demonstrations, all the meat you can eat competitions, Christo and Cobus on the Sementblad, crotch games, the Vleisfees strongman, classic cars, the platteland happy to be out, alive, together, hopeful.
But. Not a Boerboel broek in sight. Life’s full of tragedies. Thanks Calvinia, good times. See you next year. In the meantime, the flowers are out.
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