Outdoorsy this, that

 Addington Lane was backed up with traffic and casual parking attendants had sprung up along the route in the hope of gleaning a few Sunday dollars.  Broom and feather duster vendors, limp from the heat were plying their trade outside the gates.
Inside on the green sports fields this annual Fair has become huge – a far cry from the showcase for home industries, arts and crafts that it started as. Many big companies were exhibiting – it’s like an alternative agricultural show catering mainly to the rich. At least three stands were showcasing generators and back up power systems and there was plenty of green energy in the form of solar pumps, water heating and lighting. Home stores and furniture warehouses abounded – offering leather lounge suites, heavy dining tables and luxurious beds and bedding as well as dinner sets, kitchen ware and accessories. Also a lot of digital equipment – large flat screen televisions and sound systems.
Prize must go to a mad live-in round bed in retro pink, featuring a pink leatherette headboard, built in TV, speakers and bedside lights. A snap at US$6 200, it shared space with a crazy bedside lampshade in millennium sequins!
Mostly it was about advertising and I came home with a basket stacked with flyers and found more plastered to my car when I returned to it. My friend tells me she never buys at fairs but just browses to see what’s out there and I suppose that is the point. I loved the Fabulous Cushion stall and will certainly be following up on those.
The kids corner was the most fun.  For adults too. Oversized waterslides were helping kids to cool off with water pumped continuously from the school boreholes. Something I’d never seen before was a full size slug game with real people as the players.  Contained by air filled tubes as sides, the players were linked to ropes with a waist band so they could move side to side but not front and backwards – just like mini soccer. Looked like fun and all of these giant toys are available for parties at your own home or venue of choice.
Plenty of food stalls were doing good business with outlets like Mekka, Antonios, Codfather and the Jaipur as well as fast chicken and burgers. One young lady claimed to have come to the fair just for the grilled chicken and had brought her friend about to return to New York to sample it! We left them getting photographed with chicken in hand as proof that she’d eaten the best in Harare.
But we struggled to find icecream on such a hot day. I eventually bought one on my way out from two enterprising young ladies with cool boxes full of ‘home made’ ice-cream.’ Maybe it was – but quite pricy at US$3 for a scoop. Two scoops would have bought me a feather duster!
Another interesting display was the Deli Difference putting together a mix of catering size packs of marinades, condiments, spices and sauces – plus biltong and biltong mixes. But Zimspice in Sam Levy’s Village and Marimba remains my favourite, not only for spices which come in satisfying large scoops – but also for grains, pulses and exotic Indian beauty products like neem soap and special face masks. The fair was fun but I enjoyed coming home to indulge in soothing, cooling mud – spreading an orange infused concoction on my face – guaranteed to tone and cleanse – and henna on my hair. Love the concept of hair spice! I emerged silky and clean ready to face the week. 
– g.jeke@yahoo.com