The festive season might be over, but the party in Cape Town is just beginning to sizzle! The mother city’s Summer Series started on the 12th of December 2011 and is currently running until the 13th of January 2012.

The true essence of what makes Tina Turner the great artist that she is has been expertly captured and flawlessly portrayed by the multi-talented star Felicity Kiran, in a remarkable tribute to the iconic “Queen of rock.”

If you either collect antiques or you just enjoy looking at them then you  may be interested in going to the Alphen Antiques and Collectibles Market.  I for one adore old furniture and so markets like these really quite a treat for me.  You may not know much about what makes an item old or possibly a collectible but often I have seen peoples faces recognise a piece which they may have at home, and which they thought was worthless only to find the exact same piece selling for a hefty price.

The thought of trawling the mall for Christmas gifts always elicits feelings of dread for me - firstly because I hate shopping and secondly because I hate being inside when I know it is a beautiful day out - however, there seems to be a solution to that problem, The Fab Ideas Christmas Gift Fair!

If you enjoy wine and Jazz then you are in luck, on November 26th Nederburg will be hosting a classical music and jazz event at the Estate in Paarl.  This promises to be an afternoon filled with sun, family fun and of course music and wine.

It's that time of year again, the start of the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts - my favourite thing to do in Cape Town during the summer! I've written about this hidden gem a number of times before because I cannot think of anything better than taking a picnic basket to the Botanical Gardens on a Sunday afternoon to enjoy live, local music. The backdrop to the natural amphitheatre is Table Mountain, and while you make yourself comfortable on the rolling lawns of the gardens, a gem in itself, you can really get a sense of what it's like to live in this beautiful part of the world.

On Saturday, it happens to be my favourite wine festival of the year - Pinotage on Tap.  If you like red wine, especially one which has a chocolate coffee taste, then you will want to be at this festival.  Barrels of the Diemersfontein Pinotage are rolled out onto the lawns  in-front of the farm house, taps are plugged into them and wine stewards are sent out to man each barrel - which are only a few of the factors which makes this a must-be-at event.

There are a few things South Africans are passionate about, of course beer wine and our incredible beaches all form part of that list, but another passion is rugby and if you know anything about the sport, you will be familiar with the fact that at the moment the 2011 Rugby World Cup is being held in New Zealand.

It's that time of year again, when flowers are blooming and trees are in blossom - which of course includes vines, grape vines to be more specific.  This time of year also heralds the promise of long lazy days in the sun, with a fresh, chilled glass of wine and a picnic basket packed to brimming!  If this all sounds rather appealing to you, then I'd suggest you head to Nitida Wine Farm in Durbanville on Saturday and Sunday, October 1st and 2nd for the Season of Sauvignon weekend.

If you enjoy live shows then you cannot miss Defending the Caveman which is on at the Theatre on the Bay in Camps Bay until September 10th. 

If you are a Tretchikoff fan then you'll be happy to hear that there is an exhibition of his work in Cape Town until September 25th at the Iziko South African National Gallery.

I've decided to christen July, Mandela Month because while I was searching online for fun things to do around Cape Town, two very interesting things came up, both of which revolve around our former President and who many of us affectionately call, Madiba.