Everything you need to know about Ceres Cherry Festival

Cherry products and picking, foam party & live music as the sun sets

Last updated: Tuesday, 18 Novemnber 2025

Ceres, one of the country’s largest and most celebrated fruit-growing regions, is hosting its first-ever Cherry Festival. You can start by wandering through the cherry orchards, before heading to Ceres Sportsgrounds where the main festival happens on Saturday, 6 December. You’ll find stalls serving cherry everything, with jugglers, trampolines, a foam party, and live music as the sun sets. 

This is the first-ever Ceres Cherry Festival. Image: Ceres Cherry Festival

FULL MOON HIKE, ART EXHIBITION & MORE 

The festival is happening from 4 to 7 December 2025. 

The festivities kick off on Thursday, 4 December, with Kersie Kreatief, a local art exhibition that celebrates creativity in the valley. Think artworks by local artists and school students, alongside wine tastings, harvest tables, and live music. The event is for adults only. 

On Friday, 5 December, there’s a full moon hike; a guided 7km evening walk towards Ceres Peak. Along the route, you’ll look out over apple and cherry orchards. The hike, which is free to join, starts at 5.30pm and wraps up at 9pm.

Then, on Saturday, 6 December, it’s the main event. If you’re keen to make a day of it, you can stop before the festival for some morning cherry picking. The Klondyke Cherry Farm opens at 8.30am. 

And on Sunday, 7 December, the weekend closes with a free Open-Air Praise and Worship from 8am to 10am. Expect live music, worship and a message from a pastor. 

Ceres Cherry Festival is four days of everything cherry. Image: Ceres Cherry Festival

EVERYTHING’S GOT A CHERRY TWIST  

At 2pm on Saturday, 6 December, the main festival begins.  

Each vendor will have a unique cherry twist on their products. It’s not just pies and jam; you’ll find treats like cherry-glazed burgers, infused cocktails, and homemade cherry sodas. 

SIP will serve cocktails, cordials, sodas, and mocktails, and Loxtonia will have a cherry cider and a cherry cider slushie. On the food side, you can try Beefy Bens’ cherry relish burger, Peter’s Pizza’s cherry and brie pizza, and even a cherry chili sauce from Smoked Oak. 

Beyond food, cherries will appear in fashion and craft. Look out for Jakob and Nina Skep’s fashion pieces, Romancing the Yarn’s DIY embroidery kits, and Eleen Fourie’s funky earrings. 

There’s also a bar area with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including coffee from Buck & Bean. Image: Ceres Cherry Festival

FOAM PARTY & JUMPING CASTLES 

Roaming through the main festival on Saturday, you’ll spot jugglers, stilt walkers, balloon artists and face painters (for both kids and adults). 

Kids will love the Little Cherries Playland, a supervised zone where they can play and create. You’ll find it at the centre of the festival, close enough for parents to relax nearby while keeping an eye on their kids. 

The space will be packed with activities like giant Jenga, trampolines, and two jumping castles, plus slime-making stations. Most activities are included in your ticket, though a few craft stations may ask a small extra fee.

One of the highlights is the foam party. It’s happening at 5pm, just before the live music starts, so kids can jump around in the foam before settling down for the evening performances.

There's a dedicated kids zone with face painting, trampolines and jumping castles. Image: Ceres Cherry Festival 

LIVE MUSIC IN THE EVENING 

On Saturday evening, the festival transforms into an outdoor concert with live performances by local favourites. 

Refentse, known for his Afrikaans pop sing-along choruses, will take the stage at 6.30pm. Later at 8.30pm, Die Piesangskille will perform their mix of folk and acoustic Afrikaans music.

You’re welcome to bring a picnic and find a spot on the grass to watch the performances.  

There'll be cherry flavoured cocktails, cordials, sodas, and mocktails. Image: Ceres Cherry Festival

CHERRY FEST TICKETS & PARKING  

Parking is free on and around the Ceres Sportsgrounds. It’s best to arrive around 1.30pm to get a good parking spot. 

All ticket proceeds go toward supporting schools in the area, and if you buy through a school’s unique ticket link, that school keeps the profits to fund classroom projects and sports equipment. It’s a way to make sure the money raised stays in the community. 

Saturday’s festival tickets are R200 for adults, R80 for children ages 5 to 17, and free for kids under 5. You can purchase your Ceres Cherry Festival tickets on Quicket. 

Thursday’s local art exhibition tickets are R180. You can book your Kersie Kreatief tickets on Quicket.

CERES CHERRY FESTIVAL 

This new family festival celebrates the juicy cherries, and the local businesses behind them, that Ceres is best known for. It might just become your new summer tradition, whether you go for the cherry treats, live music, or just want a day trip out of the city.

Ceres Cherry Festival is happening: From Thursday, 4 December to Sunday, 7 December. Main event is Saturday, 6 December 2025
Find it: Ceres Sportsgrounds, Phillip Street, Ceres
Book: Via Quicket

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By Saarah Gierdien 

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