Strawberries in the Helderberg Basin

Strawberries at Helderberg Farm (Plaas)


Strawberries, like vineyards are one of the cornerstones of the Helderberg Basin. For many years residents and visitors to the Helderberg Basin have enjoyed the delicious freshly picked strawberries from one of the many strawberry farms in The Helderbeg or Stellenbosch.

Strawberries were in fact so popular and loved by the residents of the Helderberg Basin that they created a festival in their honour called "The Strawberry Lights Festival".

In December each year Somerset West hosts the festival, where stalls used to sell strawberries and cream to the many visitors that came from near and far, to see the festive lights while they ate strawberries and cream, walking up and down the Main Road of Somerset West.

Today, unfortunately this tradition has been replaced and instead traders sell all sorts of mainly Chinese novelties instead. The Christmas lights are the only remaining tradition of The Strawberry Lights Festival.

Strawberry picking season is from September - December on many of the great farms where the kids love to go pick strawberries along the R44 on the way to Stellenboch.

GPS: S34.01.57.3 E18.50.01.3

Strawberries