Remember, remember the 5th of November! We’ve heard the saying, but most of us don’t know what the day is really about. So here’s a quick summary: Back in 1605 a group of English Catholics plotted to assassinate the protestant King James I of England by blowing up the House of Lords. Luckily an anonymous letter to one of the lords revealed their plot just in time and Guy Fawkes, who was guarding the gunpowder, was caught in the cellar of the Houses of Parliament just after midnight on 5 November. Since then, the day has been used to celebrate the king’s survival and turned into a public day of Thanksgiving where the custom of burning Guy Fawkes statues turned into elaborate bonfires and firework displays. Today, the holiday has become less about its original religious connections and more about the excitement of seeing fireworks crackling through the night sky. Due to safety reasons, the City of Cape Town has forbidden the use of fireworks in unsupervised areas and has allocated regulated, safe areas for the celebration. Find an approved place near you to watch fireworks in Cape Town this Guy Fawkes:

Fireworks by dplanet (Flickr)

1.   Maidens Cove parking lot, Victoria Road, Camps Bay

GPS: -33.944608, 18.375710

 

2.   Athlone Stadium parking lot (eastern side), corner Klipfontein Road and Cross Boulevard, Athlone

GPS: -33.961894, 18.518446

 

3.   Macassar Beach parking lot, Macassar Road, Macassar

GPS: -34.076529, 18.748149

 

4.   Swartklip Sports Complex, corner Spine and Swartklip Roads, Mitchells Plain

GPS: -34.049445, 18.640660

5.   Strandfontein Pavilion, Strandfontein Road, Strandfontein

GPS: -34.086644, 18.554839

 

6.   Wesfleur Sportsfield, Reygersdal Drive, Atlantis

GPS: -33.559416, 18.490931

 

7.  Table View beachfront in front of the Tourism Centre, Athens Road

GPS: -33.822614, 18.476324

 

8.   Bishop Lavis Sports Field, Lavis Drive, Bishop Lavis

GPS: -33.947492, 18.582705

 

Four new fireworks approved areas for 2015 include:

 

9. Metropolitan Sports Grounds, Melkhout Street, Bonteheuwel

GPS: -33.953328, 18.555823

 

10. Delft Central Sports Grounds, Main Road, Delft

GPS: -33.985492, 18.641890

 

11. Sarepta Sports ComplexKuils River, Cape Town

GPS:-33.930152, 18.664402

 

12. Blue Downs Sports FieldHindle Road

GPS: -33.988217, 18.687138

 

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Fireworks by _Dilexa (Flickr)

To report a fire, call 107 from a landline or +27 (0)21 480 7700 from a cell phone. Members of the public with information relating to the illegal sale or use of fireworks can report the information to the Metro Police Call Centre on 0860-POLICE (765423) or to SAPS on 10111.

What other places do you know about for watching firework displays in Cape Town?

Main image by dkeats (Flickr)