In a province where a few flakes of snow can cause widespread excitement and make it into every news headline, it’s a safe bet to say that Gautengers are going to simply love Snow World at this year’s Rand Show.
An alpine village
The show brings the ski slopes to Gauteng with Snow World. Hall 8 will be transformed into an Alpine village, complete with central village café, outdoor benches, street lamps and strings of fairy lights. Sporadic snow falls are predicted throughout the day, so dress warmly.
Grab a snow tube or snowboard and take a ride down the 40m snow ramp, covered in 20cm of real snow. At 12pm and 2pm each day, the pros will show visitors how it’s done, in extreme snowboarding demonstrations.
Experience the short, sharp turns and flying speed of a real toboggan ride, on a 20m-long solid ice toboggan slide.
More energetic visitors can head for the ice climbing wall, a vertical sheet of ice 4m wide and 6m high. After strapping on ice crampons and a harness, and with ice axe in hand, these adventurous spirits will be given the opportunity to scale the icy height.
Or just step into the snow box for a total arctic experience. Inside its minus-three-degree interior, there will be an ice bar, with a counter of solid, crystal-clear ice, giving new meaning to the idea of enjoying “a cold one”. Snow and ice sculptures will be on display here.
Snow World runs the duration of the Rand Show 2013, from Thursday, 28 March, to Monday, 1 April, and entrance is included in the price of the Rand Show ticket. Groups of 500 will be let in every hour, on the hour, beginning at 10am, with the final group entering at 5pm.
The Rand Show 2013
Dates: From 28 March to 1 April 2013.
Show hours: Gates open daily at 09h00. The show closes at 19h00.
Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre, Rand Show Road, Nasrec.
Tickets: R100 for adults, R50 for pensioners over 65, R50 for teens aged 13-16, R20 for kids aged 6 to 12, and free for children under six.