THE cold is real, but so is the fun and the exposure.
In today’s weekend guide, organisers have quietly put together one of the fairly structured cultural weekends in recent memory, and letting the blanket win would genuinely be a waste.
Today, the city really opens up.
It begins on the quieter side.
The Vanilla Moon on 64 Sam Nujoma Street in Ashbrittle is hosting the Silent Book Club Harare from 1:30pm to 4pm, and if you have never been to one of these, the concept is simple and genuinely lovely.
There is no assigned reading, no pressure to discuss anything.
Keep Reading
- Sofar hits high note on the 19th edition
- Sofar Harare, Optinova Eyecare partner for natural hair edition
- Sofar Sounds Harare serenades Glen Lorne with sunset concert
Friends and strangers arrive, share what they are reading, and settle in for an hour or so of sustained silent reading.
At the end, you can socialise or not.
Bring your book, your e-book, your magazine, whatever you are in the middle of.
It is free, and it is the kind of social occasion that feels nothing like an obligation but just networking.
Right after that, at 3pm, the same venue becomes something else entirely.
Moonlight Sonneta takes over for a night of poetry and comedy that runs until 10pm.
The lineup is a strong one: Dinky Bills, Tatenda, Fabel, Lauralie, Patrick Zindoga, Tadana Nakai, Heartly, Trust K, Val, Hupenyu, Anomaly and Thuthukani are all on the bill. Entry is free and ladies get a complimentary drink.
The flyer has Beethoven on it, which tells you everything you need to know about the energy these people are bringing.
Also today, Sofar Harare is putting on an exclusive rooftop concert with Freed Mushaga, a singer from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo who blends African Soul and Pop with a powerful voice.
He is performing his Je Suis live experience alongside Zimbabwean musicians, and the show starts at 3pm.
The exact location is only revealed to ticket holders a day or two before the show, which is the whole Sofar Sounds magic.
You show up not entirely sure where you are going, and that makes the whole thing feel like a proper event.
Tickets are at sofarsounds.com and you should not sleep on this one.
Sunday brings things down gently.
Bessie and Espresso at 29 Kenilworth Road in Newlands is hosting a Matcha Tea Ceremony in collaboration with the Japanese Language Club from 2:45pm to 3:45pm.
It is a chance to sit with something warm, learn something new, and engage with Japanese culture in a relaxed setting.
Seats are limited so book ahead at bessieandespresso.online.
And while you are making plans, keep an eye on Reps Theatre.
Elton!, a full musical celebration of the music of Elton John, opens on June 18 and runs until the 27th.
It is being devised and directed by award-winning director and Fulbright Scholar James Carey, who has been collaborating creatively with Reps for over a decade.
Tickets are US$10 for Reps members and US$15 for non-members, available at thespotlight.co.zw.
The cold is not going anywhere. But neither is this lineup. Get out there.