42nd Knysna Oyster Festival gearing up for a feast of action

The Herald

14 hours ago

There is 21km and a full 42km option. There are lots of repeat customers coming back more than once to run this marathon because it goes through the forest, with spectacular views of the estuary and iconic Knysna Heads in the last section.
'It's just amazing to start and then run through the forest, the views are incredible. It's quite unlike any other run,' said Wayne Kidd, who is involved in organising the marathon, and just ran his 23rd Comrades.
He said the event just kept growing in popularity, with both the 21km and 42km races sold out.
There are some 6,500 runners doing the half-marathon and 1,250 doing the full run in 2025
Runners come from the Eastern and Western Cape, and as far afield as Gauteng.
In 2025, 28 overseas runners from far off shores such as China, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Britain, will also be participating.
Then there is the iconic Houtkapper Trail Run on Sunday, July 6.
This event offers three distances, each winding through indigenous forest in Krisjan-se-Nek.
It's one of the festival's most iconic off-road runs and again popular because where else in the world do you get to run in a forest?
For a more relaxed experience, join the 3km Family Adventure Walk at Blackwaters River Lodge on Friday, July 4.
Walk or run the 5km for Cansa on July 6 or take the whole family for the festive RAP Knysna Colour run on July 12.
Runners are spoilt for choice as there is also the scenic Simola Sunset Wine Run on July 10.
The KnysnaX Trail Series Winter Run is also on July 10 and the Choo-Tjoe Ultra Trail Run on July 13 is special because it follows the path of the historic railway route.
Even the local 5km Saturday parkruns will start and finish at the Knysna High School Sports Field, part of the festival hub.
There are two soccer tournaments to look out for, there is a rugby tournament, mini-hockey and netball. You name it, the Knysna Oyster Festival has it all.
After the first weekend, pedal power kicks in with the Knysna Cycle Tour and three days of cycling.
It starts on Friday July 11 with the Forest Enduro and Criterium Rides and offers biking adventures through the forests.
There is a serious 86km, 56km or a 30km route.
On July 5, the Canoe Polo Tournament will bring some excitement to the Knysna Waterfront.
The Harbour 2 Heads Lagoon Challenge, on July 13, is a spectacular 12km or 24km paddle on the estuary.
In previous years, it had record entries of 89 boats and 123 paddlers taking part, and in 2025 it promises to be just as successful.
There is also a Padel Challenge at Simola Country Estate, and the Oyster Betterball golf championship on July 11.
The Oyster Festival, previously called the Winter Festival, was started in 1983.
Late local businessman Dick Ginsberg got together with the manager of the Knysna Publicity Association, Rose Smith, to organise an event that would bring business into town during the quietest times of the year for local hospitality businesses and restaurants.
By the mid-'80s, it was renamed the Knysna Oyster Festival, and while it has weathered all sorts of storms — the fires in 2017 and then Covid (it was virtual in 2020 and then a hybrid event in 2021) — it is still going strong.
The festival has morphed over the years and it would be fair to say the theme has shifted away from events that used to be drawcards to an emphasis on high-profile sporting attractions.
The town literally comes alive and there are all sorts of attractions to coax locals out of their winter burrows.
When it comes to oysters, they pop up in eateries across the town.
Oysters are no longer farmed in Knysna, having failed to thrive in the estuary, but there are still the coastal kind — which come from rocks pools on local beaches along a 250km coastline, while cultivated oysters are also brought into Knysna from Gqeberha and the Agulhas area.
Some 500,000 coastal oysters are harvested each year in the country, compared to 4.5 million cultivated oysters.
The coastal oyster is bigger and has a briny taste, while the cultivated oyster is more buttery and subtle.
It was said in 2024 that the Knysna Quartet of Restaurants (Drydock, 34 South, Sirocco and Tapas) went through about 15,000 cultivated oysters and 20,000 of the coastal variety during the festival.
Total oyster sales in Knysna and surrounds were up 20%.
Apart from sporty things and oysters, the Knysna Wine Festival takes place on July 4 and 5 at Simola Hotel.
It has a reputation of showcasing wine from up to 50 estates from the Cape winelands and, of course, the Garden Route wineries.
It's always difficult to write about this fest because how long is a ball of string and there is so much to do.
Join the action and be part of the festival, whether you're actively participating and competing or just cheering from the sidelines.
Check out the full programme at www.knysnaoysterfestival.co.za.