National Grape Harvest Festival, Argentina

The Grape Harvest is the most popular festival of Mendoza, is the work symbol, the biggest celebration of Mendoza people because of representing the finished work (the grape harvest).

The vine origin is very linked with the spiritual farm work, since the evangelist used wine for celebrating the mass.

The national festival mobilizes the people, thousand of them –mendocinos and tourists- ; entail all sort of events as: dances (referred to wine), sports, art, theater, religion, typical food, carriages, people from all world and fireworks; all those activities during three months (from January to March).

The main activities are:

“La Bendición de los Frutos” (The Fruits Blessing), is the most expected spectacle, but before the great carriages parade pass through the streets "Vía Blanca de las Reinas" over 200.000 people participate in this event carried out at night. It is one of the main public demonstrations of 17 misses. Each department has its own allegoric carriage with its miss, also people throw grape bunches, wine bottles and other symbolic things of regional produce.

"Carousel"

The carriages return to the city, this time in conjunction with crowds of bands, “gauchos” on horseback, carts, folk dances and communities’ carriages as Bolivian and Spanish ones.

“Acto Central” Main Act

It is the best moment of the festival in the whole province. The Grape Harvest Miss is elected inside Frank Romero Day amphitheatre. More than 40.000 spectators enjoy one of the biggest festivals in Mendoza. It reflects the wine history of Mendoza in histories of weather inclemency’s as hail storms, the Mendocino’s dances, gigantic grapes, exotic and traditional costumes, the harvest, the winemaking process, the tourism, all related with the grape.