The birth of Splashy Fen

In 1967 Peter & Almary Ferraz were inspired after attending the Festival of the Flower Children at Woburn Abbey in England. It was 32 years later that Splashy Fen was born after the couple bought a farm near Underberg in the Southern Drakensberg.

 

“We realised immediately that the farm was perfect for a music festival,” recalls Peter Ferraz. “With its natural amphitheatre, great acoustics, breathtaking mountain vistas, winding river and lots of fields for camping, no one could ask for a more ideal setting.”

 

Rudimentary infrastructure

 

Held over two days, its original aim, according to Ferraz, was “to have a really good time with a few musicians playing round campfires, joined by some truly passionate music-lovers.” The Ferraz's had anticipated 200 attendees, imagine their surprise when 1200 showed up to listen to the likes of Tony Cox, the Silver Creek Mountain Band, Plagal Cadence and Syd Kitchen.

 

The original infrastructure wasn't much and consisted of a make-shift stage, a tractor-powered generator and a few portable toilets. 

 

“There was no Eskom then,” recalls Ferraz. “Power was provided by my ancient little tractor driving an erratic farm generator. Every so often the music would stop for 20 minutes while the tractor was refuelled, but nobody complained." 

 

The final day of the festival even saw some snowfall, prompting a change in dates to earlier in the year, now moved to the Easter long-weekend. 

 

And so the South African music scene saw the birth of Splashy Fen.

 

 

Long into the future

 

While no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the festival, its sustainability remains important to Ferraz: “It’s important to me that Splashy Fen continues long into the future – it’s become an institution that brightens the lives of everyone involved and all the people who have helped it endure for so long.”

 

Splashy Fen will take place this year from 17-21 April.

 

Source: www.splashyfen.co.za