FESTIVE LIGHTS SWITCH-ON

The Festive Lights Switch-On  is set to illuminate Cape Town’s Grand Parade on 2 December when the City of Cape Town Executive Mayor, Patricia de Lille will officially launch Cape Town’s summer holiday  season.

With the theme ‘Our City, Our People’, this year’s event will be the city’s largest public open-air event to date with performances from Lira, Emo Adams, Jimmy Dludlu, Freshlyground and many more.

 The official parade will include participants in spectacular costumes, dancing to music provided by 14 brass and community bands as well as three military bands. Red Zebra will perform on top of one of the magnificent floats along with dancers, giant puppets, stilt walkers, carnival characters and giant wheels that will conclude with a special Santa Clause celebration.

With over 2 000 people participating and many more involved in the build-up, not only does the event include people from all backgrounds and areas of Cape Town, creating job opportunities and skills development with units that are dedicated to the creation of the floats, costumes and light installations.

On the day Table Mountain itself will be officially inducted into the New 7 Natural Wonders of Nature with a special tribute float and performance. One of the festive lights crossings in Adderley Street, will also celebrate this feature.  Since receiving the “New7Wonder” accolade in November 2011, Table Mountain has already seen an increase in visitors with record numbers confirmed by Table Mountain Aerial Cableway – the spin off from this is an overall increase in tourism for the City.

The one of a kind Table Mountain parade float, which lights up as to illuminate the city’s cultural celebration, is a staggering 6 metres high and 4 metres wide and rotates to allow all spectators a view of Cape Town’s most-loved icon.

 In addition, the creative team tasked with creating the City’s light installations has been hard at work creating these works of art with a creative process that has included planning, sourcing materials and the construction of the installations.  Of the 12 light installations, there are two brand new designs, including the main theme crossing and the Table Mountain crossing.

 More than five kilometres of rope lighting and 4000 bulbs have been used to create the various light creations, including the six metre high Christmas tree at the entrance to the Company Gardens.  To improve a further saving of electricity the 15W bulbs were replaced this year with 7W energy efficient bulbs.  Operationally, 25 employees are involved with the manufacturing, assembling and the installation of the motifs and light crossings, and for the first time a massive Christmas Tree will be installed on the Grand Parade.

 Along with the big stage, spectacular performances, pyrotechnics, tributes to Cape Town’s icons and mass parade, this year’s event will also celebrate Cape Town’s diversity and is set to draw a crowd of over 80 000 spectators representing a cross section of Cape Town life.

 

Picture Resource: life-cafe.co.za