RAG Madness in Stellenbosch!

Up until last week Stellenbosch felt like a relatively sleepy town – with some Swedish guests we had staying with us actually remarking that they were hoping for a little more hustle and bustle! I suspect they would hardly recognise the town if they came back today – there is a palpable sense of electricity in the air as around 4800 brand new first-year University students (mostly with parents in tow) have descended on the town to begin their 2 week orientation and RAG (Reach Out and Give) programme. The mood in the town is definitely one of frantic preparation … one can barely find a parking space between the GP and KZN registered 4x4s with trailers creaking under the weight of newly purchased fridges, sleeper couches, desks and bicycles and any attempts at doing the grocery shopping entails navigating the obstacle course of anxious mothers loading their shopping trolleys with countless cleaning materials whilst their increasingly perplexed and/or bored sons and daughters try and remember when and how they are supposed to use the bottle of bleach!

By next week the parents will mostly have left and the festival atmosphere in Stellenbosch will turn up a notch. The second week of the students’ orientation programme (before the academic classes start on Monday 31 January) usually means the town is abuzz with activity day and night, with highlights including the “Trollieresies”, “Vensters” and the “Vlotte” (and of course knowing that all funds raised go to the great work done by Matie Community Services). This year's "Jool" (RAG) theme is 'Trapped in Bizzzarro', - so expect some pretty weird and wonderful floats and Vensters shows!

• The first telltale signs of RAG activity in full swing are the desperate pleas of countless students to buy your copy of the “Akkerjol”, - the official RAG magazine – from them. I certainly remember being dropped off in the Strand with the rest of my residence and a small mountain of copies of the “Akkerjol” to sell, so please be kind and buy your copy (and you may actually find that it’s an entertaining and often funny read!)
• The next notable milestone on the RAG journey is the annual “Trollieresies” (Trolley Race). Taking place from 18:00 to 20:30 on Tuesday the 25^th January, residences pair up and enter a team of daredevils to compete in high-speed, adrenalin filled races in elaborately decorated, super-streamlined supermarket trolleys as they vie for the title of fastest and most creatively decorated ‘vehicle’ on the Victoria Street Formula One circuit! Not a sight for the faint-hearted, but definitely worth a trip into town!
• Then on Thursday (27^th Jan) the town is treated to the “Vensters” Street Theatre spectacle as the facades of many residences are transformed into elaborate stage backdrops and the first year students put on fantastic extravaganzas of music, light and dance, each lasting about 10 minutes. Most of the shows wrap up around 11 o’clock after which the town’s bars and pubs remain merry until the early hours of the morning. The biggest after party will be hosted by 5FM’s DJ Fresh at the Klein Libertas Theatre, so book your ticket if you don’t want to miss out!
• The RAG week then culminates with the “Vlotte” (float parade) taking place on Saturday the 29 January 2011 from 10:30. This tradition is one of the highlights on the RAG calendar as the town’s streets are closed to traffic and are lined with more 20 000 spectators who come to witness the floats travelling through the streets in an explosion of colour and sound. This is followed by the ATKV RAG festival on the Braak where spectators can indulge in a bit of retail therapy at the craft and food stalls, whilst being entertained by the likes of Flash Republic, Kurt Darren, Goodluck and the Rudimentals. The sight of the floats parading through the town amidst loads of pomp and ceremony and accompanied by bands and first year students shaking tins for coin donations from all the spectators is definitely worth an outing to the “Eikestad”!