This past Saturday I attended the Pomegranate Festival and Night Market held at Fourways Farmer’s Market. The market is just off of William Nicol Dr across from Monte Casino. I’ve been to this market a few times previously on Sundays and I must say I much preferred the night market experience. The Pomegranate Festival started on Saturday afternoon and continued till 9pm. Normally, comparing to the Sunday market, it’s opened for a far shorter period of time so I tend to find it very busy and crowded. Like most people, I’m not a fan of standing in long queues in the scorching heat waiting to buy food. The night market however, allowed for a better dispersion of people throughout the afternoon and evening so it was far less crowded and much more enjoyable.

There are many different vendors at the market selling food ranging from sushi to fried chicken to dim sum to fudge to cupcakes and of course cocktails. Really loved the great variety available at the market; lovely to be able to taste a little bit of everything. The theme for the market was pomegranates so various creations were available such as homemade pomegranate lemonade, sparkling wine and cocktail concoctions served with pomegranates as well some desserts incorporating pomegranates. I started with the pomegranate lemonade, which was really light and refreshing, while I walked around the market looking at the various vendors deciding what I wanted to eat. Spoilt for choice, I tried some samoosas and then opted for the fried chicken from Sumting Fresh. Loved this. The chicken is crumbed and deliciously crunchy served with grated cheese, a homemade sweet chilli sauce and skinny fries. It’s no wonder this brand is doing so well at food markets. I also tried one of the pomegranate and watermelon cocktails served with honey, mint and bourbon. An interesting flavour with a definite kick. To end off I selected a few sweet treats. This included some of Daniela’s Deliciously Decadent macaroons. They are available in various flavours including popping candy, honey nougat, blueberry, KitKat, cookies and cream and so many more that I can’t even remember. My favourite was the peanut butter flavour; really tasty! I also bought some homemade Turkish delight which was absolutely amazing. Once the box was opened, the Turkish delight was finished within minutes. Another great treat was the fudge from Sweet Angels Artisan Confectionary. The man selling this gourmet fudge, was telling me all about the various flavours and how best to taste the essence of the fudge as well as his techniques used to make the fudge. It was clear there was a real passion for what he does and this was evident in his fudge. The fudge is available in many very creative flavours. I tried the Persian Rose (made with actual rose oil extract and not just rose water), Raseberry and Balsamic and Satin Sheets. The Satin Sheets was superb – it’s made with vanilla pod and cashew nut butter. Once my friends and I had all our food purchases we sat down at one of the tables and enjoyed our eats while listening to the live music at the market. With all the wooden furniture, tree stumps, hay stacks and fairy lights, there is a genuine rustic feel to the market – a calming feeling that seems to take you far away from the buzzing city of Johannesburg.

The market was well organised. There was enough food to last up until the very end of the evening. There was ample secure parking. The live entertainment created a really lovely atmosphere. It was a really great experience and so enjoyable to do something different on a Saturday night. I will definitely be back for the next night market.