I spent last weekend doing fun things in downtown Joburg. This is fairly normal for me (although last weekend was particularly jam-packed); I live ten minutes from the inner city and I’m usually there at least once a week. But I was reminded over the course of the weekend that there are still lots of people living in the Joburg suburbs — people born and raised here — who haven’t visited the Joburg CBD for years, decades, or maybe haven’t been there at all.

It’s true that parts of downtown Joburg are dangerous. Some areas are indescribably filthy and badly neglected by the City of Joburg, which has mostly given up on governing. There are parts of the inner city that stress me out, even as someone who goes there often.

But there is also so much amazing stuff happening in downtown Joburg. And interestingly, I think all the horrific challenges facing the CBD are making it even more amazing…Loving the CBD has become almost like an extreme sport, or an elite club, or maybe even a cult. Those of us who love the city REALLY love it. We’ll do anything to save it. And we need more people to join our cult.

In an effort to convince at least one Joburger who has never been downtown to give it a try, here is a recap of my weekend. For those of you who are keen to plan a great weekend downtown, I’ve listed a couple of my favorite resources at the end of this post.

Saturday Morning: Hey Hillbrow! Parade

I’ve blogged previously about the Hey Hillbrow! parade, an annual event by the Windybrow Arts Centre and Shade — read that article to learn all about it. But here are a few pictures from this year’s parade, which was wonderful.

Before leaving Hillbrow after the parade, Thorsten and I popped into the Cathedral of Christ the King. I’ve been into this church many times but I’m always amazed by how many Joburgers don’t know about it. It’s easily the most beautiful church in Johannesburg, if not all of South Africa, it’s relatively easy to get to, and it’s open to the public daily.

Saturday Evening: Jozi Gold Jazz in Braamfontein

Jazz is having a moment in Joburg, especially in Braamfontein. I saw Siphokazi at Hugh’s Jazz Club a couple of weeks ago, and then last weekend I received an invite to watch guitarist Keenan Ahrends and his band play at Jozi Gold (which is where the old Orbit Jazz Club used to be).

Jozi Gold is a fun, casual music venue with a regular lineup of jazz performances every Saturday night. (Read more about upcoming jazz shows at Jozi Gold.) The Jozi Gold Brewery is downstairs and has a fun beer and food menu.

I’m really excited about the live music scene in Joburg and I plan to attend a lot more jazz events in the near future — stay tuned.

Sunday Morning/Afternoon: Main Street Sunday

On Sunday, a kilometer of Main Street in the CBD — between Gandhi Square and the old Anglo American buildings — was closed to cars and opened to pedestrians and cyclists for Main Street Sunday. I was out of town for the first Main Street Sunday in April, then the second one in June was rained out. I was super excited to finally make it last Sunday.

Main Street Sundays is an initiative by Jozi My Jozi, which is leading many programs to rejuvenate downtown Joburg, and Young Urbanists. There were all kinds of interesting stalls and performances set up along the route, and several business on or near Main Street opened to the public. I really enjoyed walking the full length of the route.

Are you ready to join the Downtown Joburg Appreciation Cult (I mean Club)? If so, I recommend subscribing to the Johannesburg In Your Pocket Guide newsletter and the Daily Maverick’s weekly Gig Guide — both offer a fantastic range of entertainment ideas in downtown Joburg and beyond. And subscribe to this blog, of course. I’ll see you at the next meeting.