It’s almost that time of year again: a weekend when the Cradle of Humankind and Magaliesberg areas come to life with markets, art exhibitions and festivities during the annual Magalies Rocks the Cradle festival.

Now in its fourth year, the festival, which runs on 23, 24 and 25 August, aims to showcase the best attractions in the Magaliesberg and Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site.

The 2019 edition features more than 100 events to choose from, as well as nine “focus routes” that will allow visitors to immerse themselves in a particular aspect of the area. These routes cover everything from arts and culture to food and drink. You’ll find the full list here.

There are more than 50 venues involved, and Maropeng is one of them.

Maropeng will be hosting a cornerstone event – the launch of celebrated environmentalist Vincent Carruthers’ much-anticipated new book, Cradle of Life, which charts the fascinating history of the area over millions of years. Entrance to the book launch is free, but booking is essential. Click here to register to attend the launch.

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A selection of images from previous editions of the festival. (Image: Magalies Rocks the Cradle)

Another likely festival favourite will be the Long March to Freedom exhibition at Maropeng – a free attraction on our grounds that features 100 life-sized bronze sculptures of some of the great figures who contributed to South Africa’s march towards democracy. Read about it here.

Find a full list of events at http://magaliesrocksthecradle.co.za and join the conversation on #mrtc2019.