Joanna James
Among all the things that make Namibia the charming land it is, the country’s vibrant cultural tapestry is just as beautiful as the Namib Desert and Atlantic Ocean coast that distinguish the southwestern African nation. The scores of cultural festivals are so idyllic even the tourists embrace them exuberantly.
February in Windhoek is that time of the year when the ardent art buff is full of beans, as the bustling capital city plays host to the much-anticipated annual Bank Windhoek Arts Festival. Artists across the country flock to the lively metropolis, psyched for the nation’s biggest and most salient arts festival program. The streets of Windhoek don an unusually charming appeal, unlike any other day of the year, as a whole host of events ranging from dance and theatre to visual arts light up the city. The annual arts festival program was instituted to honour local art and artists and bring about a platform for artists to make themselves known in the local art market while also making for a source of striking art for excited art fans.
March 21, 1990, marks the southwestern African nation’s independence from the colonial domination of South Africa and the country’s official institution as a sovereign state. A grand parade and a series of sports events take place on March 21 to commemorate the hard-won independence and the nation’s success as a democratic sovereign state. Namibia’s freedom is not one that was easily secured — engaging in strenuous and enduring revolts — certainly deserving of commemoration and in grand style.
Prior to Namibia becoming “Southwest Africa” under South African occupation, the country was known as “Deutsch-Südwestafrika” when the nation was under German colonisation from 1884 until Germany’s defeat in World War I. While the colonisation was an unequivocally gruesome period of time for the southwestern African nation, an idyllic remnant that was left behind and still observed to date is the Windhoek Karneval. The annual festival takes place in April, lively with musical performances galore, a grand masquerade ball, a carnival, and an Independence Avenue parade — a world of fun for everyone, old and young.
The second-largest and second-most populous of the world’s continents, Africa is incredibly proud of its vibrant ethnic and cultural diversity, and rightly so. Africa Day, celebrated annually on May 25, brings continent-wide Africans together, including the southwestern African nation of Namibia, to celebrate and strengthen the unity, peace, and harmony among all Africans.
Among all things fun and exciting, Oktoberfest is one of the most vibrant things to do in Windhoek, especially for the longing party-minded. The southwestern African nation is also fan of the world’s largest Volksfest, given the nation’s long German influence. Adding to your delight is the city’s host of fine hotels and resorts, including the likes of Avani Windhoek Hotel and Casino.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
