How to decide what you want to see and do at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown? There are more than 2000 events ranging from drama, dance and physical theatre to music, comedy and exhibitions, from the serious discussions at ThinkFest to the moving experiences of SpiritFest.
Split between a Main festival which carries the nod of support of the arts patrons in public and private sectors - and a fringe, where anything goes - if your stomach or other sensitivities can take it. And on a tight budget, nogal.
Are you in the mood for some hectic life lessons? There are 90 productions listed on the drama programme, which include works by the best writers in their field and showcasing world class acting skills.
Want to escape the cold realities of your life and tickle your funny bone? Dip into a couple of the 60 zany plays and standup comedy shows on offer.
The winter chills may also be chased away by any of the many physical theatre or dance productions.
And then there's music. Jazz and soul and jazz and orchestral and jazz and choral and jazz and hip pop and jazz and acoustic and jazz and Broadway and jazz and traditional and jazz and acapella and jazz and opera and jazz and pop and jazz and jazz and jazz.
If all of this confuses you, a good place to start is to go with what or who you know, or with the flow of where the crowds are headed.
What you know may include a Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, Louis Armstrong and some friends, the world premier of Athol Fugard's The Blue Iris, George Pemba's art, Zackie Achmat and Ahmed Kathrada on the ThinkFest, Pieter Dirk Uys, Nicholas Ellenbogen, Rob van Vuuren, Arno Carstens, Richard Cock, Eastern Cape Rhythms, the Bala brothers and Andy Narell.
Certainly, the crowds will be following them too.
But don't discount the newbies - too many too mention. Often, their productions create the hits at festivals, on the back of word-of-mouth buzzing.
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