A whopping 43000 people walked through the gates of Westridge Gardens to attend the ninth DStv Mitchell’s Plain Festival from Friday December 1 to Sunday December 3.
The festival was a hub of activity throughout the weekend and saw various artists performing as well as traders and exhibitors with interesting items and goods on display.
Rozario Brown, founder and director of the DStv Mitchell’s Plain Festival, said the highlight of the weekend was the local talent and the overwhelming number of people who attended the event.
Speaking about the high turn-out compared to nine years ago, Mr Brown said he did not expect the festival to grow this big.
“To be honest I did not expect the festival to last, but I was proven wrong. So I have to thank everyone who has been with me over the past years. We have worked hard to keep the festival a safe and fun event.
“We would like to thank the Plainsman for their partnership, because when people read about the festival in the newspaper, they trust that it will be a safe event and that we will deliver on our promise,” he said.
However, a scuffle at the main gate on Saturday December 2, at 9.30pm, caused a few injuries.
MrBrownapologisedfor the inconvenience at the main entrance gate.
He said the festival prides itself as being one of the safest and best co-ordinated events in Cape Town.
“However, no amount of planning and pre-cautionary measures would deliver an incident-free event unless you have the full co-operation of all the patrons and participants. Although the overwhelming majority, 99.9 percent of those waiting in the queues were totally co-operating and willing to wait their turn to enter we sadly had a very small group of young men, not more than 15, hellbent on pushing and forcing their way into the premises.”
To alleviate the pressure on the main gate, they allowed people to enter the grounds through an alternative entrance. Mr Brown said no incidents were reported inside the venue.
