Pacaltsdorp

Pacaltsdorp is a historic residential suburb and former mission station located on the outskirts of George in the Western Cape, South Africa.

The community

Originally established in 1813 as Hooge Kraal, it was renamed in 1818 after Reverend Carl Pacalt.

Cultural activities and performance venues

Pacaltsdorp is known for its cultural heritage, including notable performance venues, such as a stone church built in 1825, the JB Anderson Memorial Hall and the Kaptein Dikkop Amphitheatre, a unique venue built in memory of Chief Dikkop, the one time leader of the first inhabitants, the Khoi. The amphitheatre is used for various kinds of community gatherings, including the monthly Pacaltsdorp Market Day, and the annual Pacaltsdorp Christmas Lights Festival.

Though no specific sources have been found, various other cultural activities have taken place in the community over the years. One of these seems to have been the performances by the Dagbreek Amateur Toneelvereniging (“Daybreak amateur theatrical society”), probably active in the 1990s, though specific information about the activities of such a dramatic society have been found far.