Museum and Heritage Expo

More than twenty heritage institutions will take part in the expo, including the Izikio and District Six museums. The event is organised by Paarl Museum and Die Afrikaanse Taalmuseum en -monument, in commemoration of International Museum Day, which is celebrated annually on 18 May.

A highlight of the expo is Franschhoek Motor Museum’s three-wheel Mars-Carette from 1905, imported from London in 1973. It has a foot-operated clutch and hand-operated throttle which makes it quite difficult to drive. Just like the early Riley, the driver sits on a saddle at the back, with the passenger sitting in a basketwork seat in front of him - between the driver and the accident, so to speak!

Visitors will be able to see a baby crocodile on Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00 at CapeNature and Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm’s stall. A special programme will be presented in the food court from 12:00 to 13:00 on Saturday with performances by Zulu-dancers from Kwazulu-Natal and learners from Charleston Hill Primary who will dance the Disci dance.

Paarl Museum will once again focus on the discovery of Paarl, which includes a Search in a sandbox where clues and items must be matched. At the Taalmonument stall visitors will help build a clay model of the Taalmonument.

A fun way to learn more about wine would be to visit the wine-tasting stall of Victor Titus Wine Edutainment and Domaine Brahms Winery, and the brave at heart may taste Kleinplasie Worcester Open-air Museum’s “witblits”.

Iziko Museum’s bus full of museum artifacts will be parked in the middle of the Mall. At Cape Medical Museum’s stall, visitors will be able to assemble a plastic human body – that’s if you have a clue where every part fits!

Other exhibitors include: Stellenbosch Village Museum, the Huguenot Memorial Museum of Franschhoek, District Six Museum, Wellington Museum, Ouma Granny’s House Museum, the Wheat Industry Museum, Koinonia, the Anglo Boer War Monument, the Paarl Philatelist Society, Al-Azhar Paarl Islamic Library, Het Gesticht, Paarl Tourism and Drakenstein Tourism.

The purpose of the Expo is to introduce the activities of heritage related organisations to the public and to change the perception that museums are boring places. The organisers would like to convey the message that museums belong to the community, and encourage parents to take their children to museums to discover their heritage.