Carnival History

Lew from Norgarb Properties (a market leader in Harfield and surrounding areas and proud sponsor of this event), decided to dig into the trenches of the Carnival history and after a few interviews he came up with this fascinating story.

The very first carnival was held in November 2004 and was certainly a totally different affair from the current one we have grown to know and love.

The Harfield Village Association (HVA) Executive consisting at that time of Peter Pickup and Mike Cawood, worked tirelessly and selflessly to turn the concept into a reality. The established restaurants in 2nd Avenue then got involved. On the appointed Saturday morning, everyone arrived bright and early, full of anticipation and trepidation. It was apparently a slow start but then the residents of Harfield started trickling and eventually pouring into 2nd Avenue. Around 3pm it started quietening down a bit; and they all sighed a little with relief as most of them were rather under prepared, understaffed and overwhelmed. As Chris Parsley from Da Vinci’s recalls, ‘Around 6pm the crowds started flowing back, leading us to believe that seeing 2nd Ave as a pedestrianized mall seemed to have caught everybody’s attention leading to an unexpected renewed enthusiasm.’

The St Matthew’s Parish Church Band moved through the village playing a selection of tunes and old favourites. This was a moving reminder to the often sad history of Harfield Village. Please read more about the history of the village by clicking here.

The Harfield Village Carnival has grown both in size and stature and as Lew Norgarb says “now boasts some several thousand attendees which not only further unites the residents, but also platforms this quaint village, with its vibey 2nd Avenue, as a destination for visitors and property purchasers”.

Lew has been a firm promoter and generous supporter of this event and will for the 9th year be a key sponsor. (Click here to see a video clip.) Lew also had this to say “Although I do not serve on the HVA committee, I see this event as their single biggest opportunity to raise funds which can be used to put back into keeping the area clean and safe and retaining of its charm. Not everyone knows just how steeped in history this village is, though the narrow streets, quaint cottages and general architecture dating back over 100 years, clearly have many stories to tell. The forced removals are indeed a very sad part of the village history (read more and see a video here and there is no changing that!) The least we residents can do is to remember this history, respect those who tragically lost their homes and do our best to protect the delicate heritage of this remarkable area. My hat goes off to the HVA, all those residents and the business owners who put back so much and clearly appreciate and endorse the incredible sense of community that somehow lives on in spirit. Norgarb Properties remains proudly attached to this awesome carnival and I compliment the founders for their unwitting success story”

It is humbling to think that this now famous and successful fund raising event was most likely hatched over too much scotch and started from a point of view where there was no real expectation of profit or money, but rather more about enjoyment, community spirit and a feel good experience for all.

Below, NORGARB PROPERTIES organised a raffle at the 2012 Carnival. Norgarb would like to thank Wynberg Girls’ Junior School Grade 6s together with their teacher, Miss Monique Lyddell, who helped sell tickets. The proceeds went to ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANISATION. Many thanks to the local business owners who donated generous prizes!

Below, NORGARB PROPERTIES held a raffle (2011 with 20 prizes to the value of R10 500, kindly donated from the local business community. 100% of the proceeds went to the ANIMAL RESCUE ORGANISATION, being R1500 more than last year! Click here to see the Lucky Draw Prize Winners.