You’ve gotta love Cape Town in the summer. Well, I love Cape Town all year round, but there’s something special about summer time in the Mother City.  There’s an energy and buzz that vibrates throughout and you just can’t help feeling happy, light and free! Or is that just me?

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Besides the natural beauty that we’re so fortunate to have right on our doorstep, there are loads of free events happening in and around Cape Town. Now who doesn’t enjoy FREE stuff? The saying ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch’ doesn’t apply here. I really enjoy being a tourist in my own city. Cape Town has been our home for nearly 12 years and there is still so much to see and do. I make a point of checking out what is going on and because there is so much happening, sometimes I sadly miss out on an event because there just isn’t enough time!  Maybe I should look at cloning myself … mmm …

One such free event was the awesome Open Streets City Centre Bree Street on Sunday, 15 January 2017. Longmarket Street was also partially closed off to traffic. Why car-free you may ask? Inspired by Bogotá’s Ciclovía, the aim is for you to explore more of the city centre on foot or by bike.  The CBD was transformed into a space for people instead of cars. Adults and kids were able to walk, dance, play, cycle, skate, explore and connect with each other. Thanks to the support of Transport for Cape Town, the Millennium Trust and Woolworths, this event is free! There were also different projects on display.

Bree Street is an incredibly long one and my hubby, son and I started at the modern glass Portside Building. I often found myself looking both ways before crossing the street, purely from habit, before it dawned on me that I no longer had to do so. At least for a few hours.

It was my first experience of Open Streets and I was really impressed by how organized the event was as a whole. There was something to keep everyone happy and entertained. Bree Street was broken down into a series of ‘Hubs’ with various activities and projects at each Hub.

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First up was Street Life Hub with awesome graffiti by Down South Natives. We checked out The Art Hub, Bike Hub and Dance Hub next.  There were free bike rides for the kids and bicycle rentals by UpCycles.

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Sun-Kissed Salsa was great fun to watch at SMAK Delicatessen (my hubby and son weren’t keen on dancing with me!) We popped into Youngblood Africa to watch people enjoying swing dance lessons offered by Boogie Back Dance Company. This is a great spot for a bite to eat, a cool drink and people watching.

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Further along we came across the Green Hub with projects showcased by Greenpop and LOKOH Upcycled Fun.

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A big emphasis is placed on reclaiming the city and making it friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists alike. It was great to explore Longmarket Street too.  The Street Painting was fun to watch, as well as Drumming For Equality.

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We ended up at the Cobble & Stone Pub at the Inn on the Square Hotel opposite Greenmarket Square to rest up and have a refreshing drink.

Next up was the WoW! Wellness Hub, with everything from Tae Bo and Zumba to Yoga and Wow! Dance.

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The final hub at the very end of Bree Street was the Family Hub, which included The Book Station and Mark the Clown.  The street was very colourful as you could draw with chalk on the road and kids could do some gymnastics.  Live music and street dancing was very popular judging by the large crowds.

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So after all of that walking, we were starving and ready to sit down and relax. Our son loves pizza so we decided to give Bocca a try. We were expecting a long wait as the restaurant was busy. Fortunately for us, we were seated almost immediately and had the perfect vantage point upstairs to watch the world go by on Bree Street.

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All I can say about the pizzas are “Wow!” Seriously the best pizza I have tasted since our visit to Italy in 2015, no exaggeration. And I do tend to over-exaggerate at times – ask my hubby! The lightest and tastiest pizza base with the right amount of toppings (bacon, avo and feta) cooked perfectly in their wood-fired oven. What can I say? I’m a fan. And so is our son – he rated it 9 out of 10!

So would I go to another Open Streets event? Absolutely! And you should too. I’d love to hear your experience and what you think of this fab event.

Check out all the deets at Open Streets Cape Town.