The drive to Darling went from picturesque to frantic, as lumo-green pastures passed us by, the town seeming like it would never come into view.
"Oh, look at the cows," became "Aaah! We're going to miss the festival!"
The festival in question is the Voorkamerfest, now in its sixth year and growing handsomely.
If you're not in the know, Voorkamerfest is a unique celebration of arts, which involves buying a ticket and being taken via minibus taxis to voorkamers (lounges) where performances take place, including music, flamenco dance, opera, comedy, storytelling, theatre and poetry.
There are seven routes, each consisting of three performances at three different voorkamers.
The element of surprise marks the best part, as you're never sure what you'll see and the houses range from small township abodes to grand Cape Dutch homes.
Thankfully, we storm into town just in the nick of time, right into a myriad of smells, colours and sounds.
We are handed a green ticket, indicating that it is for Route 4, and queue in lines for the minibus. In the background, Pieter-Dirk Uys makes an appearance to oversee the proceedings.
First, we are taken to a house in the suburbs on a gravel road. Before we enter, we pass a washing line with teabags hanging on it. The voorkamer is marked with wooden finishes and paintings hang on the walls.
The play is a very funny low-brow comedy called The Fiekie and Willie Show and features Riana Alfreds and Charles Tertiens falling somewhere between a take on "pansies" and filling in a tax form. The audience goes with it.
Next we are shuffled back into the taxi, which now takes us to destination number two.
En route, we pass the township and seem to be leaving Darling behind as fields of arum lilies and wild flowers line the road, until another gravel road takes us to the Killinde Farm. Outside sheep blare, and a large black pig can be seen playing with a young goat. Cats and dogs lie sprawled around the entrance. Finally, in the voorkamer, marked with tasteful artwork, paintings and old photos, the owner welcomes us: "Welcome to our home, where the only thing we farm is a lifestyle."
He is thrilled at the act about to be performed and urges us to forget about the rest of the festival and set up camp in his home.
The band that arrives could not have deserved a better introduction. Amsterdam's Room Eleven were simply amazing. The three-piece band, made up of Lucas Dols on double bass, Tony Roe on piano and vocalist Janne Schra, who matches up to the likes of the sisters in CocoRosie and Fiona Apple, had the audience melt in their hands as they ventured into jazz and blues. Despite being a foreign band, with songs no one's heard before, the audience is so moved that they participate in numerous sing-a-longs.
Unwilling to leave, we finally make our way to the taxi for the final act, which was back in town. As we entered, several paintings of Bob Dylan marked the doorway, in the gallery of the owner, whose sons sold all kinds of seeds ranging from watermelon to pumpkin.
Final act Theatresports may be a regular feature on the theatre scene, but each performance is made up on the spot, and thus entirely new.
They treated us to an anthem of an imaginary country (Alfalfa), and several skits in different accents revolving around an aunt who keeps dead rats in a piano.
This involved the most audience participation, leaving everyone in stitches at the sheer silliness of it.
A walk further down the road took us back to the main hub of Evita se Perron, passing quaint houses where gardens bloomed flowers of astonishing colours.
During lunch-time we noticed incredible scents wafting all over the area from great coffee to boerewors and pancakes all in-between craft and art stalls.
The day closes off by walking around the town, taking in its friendly faces, nurseries, book stores and antique shops.
The festival is more than just its performances. It is about the vibe, but also about putting you into an incredibly intimate atmosphere between you and the performer.
An exhausting afternoon later, we are at ease on the way home, feeling satiated after yet another successful Voorkamerfest.