Emnotweni Casino will once again be part of the Magical event and prides itself to be associated with such a worthy cause. Emnotweni will be sponsoring a table, which forms part of its contribution to the CANSA and will hopefully go a long way in achieving the organisations’ goal and highlighting Emnotweni Casino’s social responsibility.

There are few events where you can have a real heels-on-the-tar street party, dressed to the nines, dine on the best Lowveld cuisine, and still help out a worthy cause.  The fourth Night of 1000 Stars on August 28, a CANSA Lowveld initiative and one of the Lowveld's most glamorous evenings, is once again looming and this year, ‘memories’ will be made and party animals will be ’unmasked’…

In an event first, the CANSA's Night of  1000 Stars organisers along with main sponsors Sonpark Centre, Get it Lowveld and MPowerFM, held a launch function (on the official international Anti-Tobacco Day, June 31) for restaurateurs to reveal this year's event theme, "Memories and Masks" as well as the night's food theme, "Memories are made of this..." at CANSA Lowveld’s offices.

Feathers, African headdresses and fabulous Phantom of the Opera, Zorro and even Ninja Turtle masks might show up on the night, but guests and tables are left to their own devices. "The theme is as open as the sky as long as it’s something about a special memory and something to do with masks," says organiser and inventor of the event, Ms Sandra Jacobs.

"The name Night of 1000 Stars came about because the people who actually attend the event are the real stars, seeing they are the ones who pay their R240 to attend this amazing night which last year raised more than R80 000.  From the beginning our dream has been to have 1 000 people dining in the street and this year we hope to see it realised," she added.

To make up this number, the event will be open not only to restaurants, lodges and hotels, but this year offers corporate companies and private hostesses in town the opportunity to invite their clients or friends to partake. 

It also gives local chefs ample scope to show what they're capable of and although organisers have reminded food fundis that, even though there are prizes for winners, it isn't really a competition.

Chefs will probably not be competing very hard for the best entreé, best main course (prepared in street) and the best dessert.
Judging will be done by the editor of Food & Home, Rosanne Buchanan, national editorial director of Get it magazines, Danielle Weakley, Megan Billingham of Cooking Unlimited and  a local chef, yet to be confirmed. The main criterion is that each entrant's main course must be produced at the venue.

The winners will be profiled in Get it Lowveld, and will receive prime-time advertising on MPowerFM.

According to organisers, "Each dish should be appropriate to or representative of the occasion and its theme of nostalgia, and the role the senses play in making food memories. The chef's creative combination of the dishes with the decor of the table will also be considered."
Cooking Unlimited came up with the food theme.  Owner Ms Megan Billingham says the theme means to be as nostalgic as possible and to personalise the food.

"We're going old fashioned - pot-bread, leg of lamb, enamel roasting tins, real comfort food, dumplings, large roast chickens. We're saying bring back those smells; bring back something that absolutely gets you going."