Enjoy a family-friendly outing every week at the Cowhouse market in Silver Lakes.
The Cowhouse market is what happens when a labour of love leads to something great. The inspiration behind the market was to provide a day out for families, including their four-legged friends, and to give kids a farm experience without having to leave Pretoria. Nestled on the fringe of Silver Lakes, this new weekly, all-weekend market aims to provide a gourmet experience with food that visitors of all ages can enjoy.
Dad’s in the house
Cowhouse is the brainchild of dads, Louis Venter, James Waugh and dad-to-be William Waugh. At a braai in January last year, after numerous hours of babysitting, they were discussing how quickly parents run out of fun activities and places to take their kids. They approached William's dad, restaurateur James Waugh, and started their extensive market research, visiting 40 markets countrywide. Finding a solution to their problem soon evolved into a passion project that still lights their eyes. The space they found was an Ayrshire dairy farm's milking parlour, which is where the name Cowhouse was born. After more than six months of preparation they held their first market in October and in the short amount of time they now have over 2,000 visitors a weekend at their all-weather, dust-free market.
The playground
Keeping kids busy is no small task, but with a list of activities to choose from kids leave the Cowhouse with many happy memories. The covered play area includes activities such as a jumping castle, climbing frames and a water slide. Other entertainment includes pony rides, a kids’ bicycle track and an 800m cycle park for older kids. The daily duck race is a great source of entertainment in which participants win vouchers to spend at the market.
The market
With live music and over 42 stalls, and more to come, Louis, William and James have made sure to have a wide variety of food, drink, entertainment and craft stalls available. Be sure to try out their top picks in food and drink stalls: Pan and Knife, Fish Stop and Hazeldean Brewing Company. You can also find lovely additions for your home at Davidson’s Wire Crafts, Dirk’s knives and meats, and M2 Design & Manufacturing. The Cowhouse gives back to the community by donating a percentage of its profit from bottled water to Club 21 School and great effort has been taken to recycle water used during their festive duck race in order to create a sustainable and conscious event.
Experience it for yourself:
The Cowhouse Market
072 399 0154
cowhousemarket.co.za
This article originally appeared in Sunday Times Neighbourhood
