Arts and culture feature high on Gansbaai's social calendar thanks to a creative community who express their individual traits and talents in a magnitude of original fashions and forms.
The greater Gansbaai area boasts well-known artists and experts across a broad spectrum - from acclaimed singers and writers to top chefs, sculptors and painters. It is home to singer and Liedjieboer Anton Goosen, the pioneer of Afrikaans rock music; the acclaimed Afrikaans band, Baardskeerdersbos Boere-orkes; well-known writers and storytellers Jan and SD Fourie, as well as renowned artists such as Joshua Miles, Niel Jonker, Amanda Jephson, Colleen Emmenis and many others.
The artistic talents of the wider community are evident in a myriad different arts and crafts and cultural events. Beautiful landscape paintings by local artists depicting the rich, colourful fauna and flora of the Overberg region decorate the interior of many shops, restaurants and guesthouses.
Four traditional festivals draw thousands of visitors to Gansbaai every year and serve as Big Brag events to show off the beauty, diversity and originality of this area and its folks. The Crayfish Derby (Easter Weekend), the Fees van die Ganse (June), the Carols by Candle Light and Craft Market (14 - 24 December) and the Danger Point Lighthouse Race (31 December) provide locals with an ideal platform to exhibit their skills, talents and trades to the outside world. All the festivals feature numerous outdoor activities and the cream of the crop of local talent, art and craftsmanship - from traditional seafood and culinary delights to textile, clothing, paintings, sculptures, wood and shell creations, furniture, jewellery and arts and crafts. One of the highlights of the Fees van die Ganse (Feast of the Geese), named after Gansbaai's origin, is the winter fynbos wildflower show, where the rare and unique flowering fynbos species of the area are showcased.
The famous Baardskeerdersbos Art Route held over three weekends per year allows visitors an intimate peek into the lives and homes of the area's most acclaimed professional artists and an opportunity to discover the beautiful, rustic hamlet of Baardskeerdersbos. Gansbaai also boasts a theatre group that annually presents the popular Melodrama Show - a lively variety show in which local performers demonstrate their singing, dancing and showbiz talents.
A wine-tasting gild ensures that locals are kept up to date with the latest wines and winemaking methods in the Overberg. Members and guests gather once a month and selected wine-makers are invited to demonstrate their best products to an appreciative audience.
An arts and crafts studio houses the majority of local artists' paintings and creative artworks. Here one can find anything from exquisite sculptures and functional items fashioned from shells, wood, stone and beads to pottery, jewellery, mosaic art and wooden furniture. The studio provides a permanent platform to more than 35 local artists to display their creations.
A book club (Leserskring), a photography club and various sport clubs and organisations cater for a smorgasbord of diverse interests and cultural activities.
Heritage sites depicting Gansbaai's rich history and origin, includes the Klipgat Caves and Drupkelders in De Kelders where remains of Middle Stone Age people were found; Danger Point Lighthouse, built in 1895 after numerous ships, including the HM Birkenhead, perished in the treacherous waters; and the quaint Strandveld Museum in Franskraal, where the biggest collection of relics of the HM Birkenhead and many other historical items are silent testimony of the weal and woe of yesteryear's peoples.
