Celebrate the start of the festive season and head off to Laborie Wine Farm on Friday evening, 7 December, for their annual Carols by Candlelight. Situated in the heart of Paarl and surrounded by the majestic Drakenstein Mountains, with the Paarl Mountain as its backdrop, Laborie is regarded as one of the precious jewels in the Cape Winelands District.

Father Christmas will be on hand to entertain the little ones and spoil them with an abundance of sweets, and a beautifully decorated Christmas tree will twinkle along with the stars. CrissCross will keep visitors entertained with popular traditional Christmas carols as they lay out their blankets and picnic baskets on the immaculate and sprawling gardens, and soak up the sights and sounds of Christmas.

The gates will open at 5pm, with the carols commencing at 6:30pm. Entrance fee is R50 for adults and R20 for children over 12 years of age. Booking, which can be done directly through www.webtickets.co.za, is essential as seating is limited. Picnic hampers, excluded from the ticket price, can be pre-booked and cost R250 for adults (for two people sharing) and R75 for children. Although no alcohol will be allowed onto the property, visitors will be able to purchase wines and Laborie MCC, at cellar door prices, directly from the farm.

Taking advantage of the festive season visitors to Laborie will have the opportunity to stock up on last minute festive shopping with a two-day Laborie Lazy Days Christmas market. The market, which offers a wide range of lifestyle goods and fresh produce, will be open from 9am until 3pm on the 8th and 9th of December. Sharing in the joy of this special holiday celebration patrons can look forward to wonderfully traditional Christmas fare such as Christmas cakes and pork pies, as well as beautiful decorations.