Celebrations - National Festival the harvest

National Festival Grape Harvest

Argentina celebrates the National Grape Harvest Festival in the province of Mendoza to honor our wine. A group of events takes place in the eighteen State Departments from November until March. The festival finishes in one big national fest in the capital city. The central act in the Greek Theatre Frank Romero Day is the main attraction of the fest. It is an innovative and huge artistic show full of dances, lights and sounds. Hundreds of actors and dancers carry out. Its main topic is the grape harvest and wine. People pay honor to the Virgin of Carrodilla and the harvesters. The act always finishes with the queen’s national election of the grape harvest and the fireworks.

More than twenty thousand people watch the show in the Greek Theatre; meantime forty thousand people watch it from the hills that surround the theatre. In addition, the celebration is broadcast for all the nation.

Origins

The grapevine farming in America has a religious origin. The evangelizers needed wine to celebrate the mass. They plant vineyards near the chapels for obtaining the wine.

There were records of this celebration of the grape harvest fest in Mendoza. But just in 1936, the governor Guillermo G. Cano organized the first modern Grape Harvest Festival. Since then, the festival has been celebrated without interruptions.

Festival in departments

From November, every province department has to celebrate their own festival and organize a main act full of folk dance and music. Besides, it has to elect the queen’s of each department that later compete for the national throne / crown. Every festival have to stand out the characteristic of the region. In addition, there are other events  such as White Way, the fruit blessing, traditional food, sports activities and Creoles skills, different types of arts, the election of the children’s queen and/or the old age’s queen, among others.

The main celebration

• The blessing of fruits

The last Sunday of February the archbishop of Mendoza blesses the fruits in front of the Virgin of Carrodilla image, saint patron of the vineyard. The people are grateful to God for their harvest.

• White Way of the Queens

The first Friday night of March, along the main street in the city of Mendoza.

It is a procession. Every department presents its queen in a cheerful decorated wagon  representing every region.

• Central Act

It takes place the first Saturday of March in the Greek Theatre Frank Romero Day. Its main topic and production must be choosen in a public competition. The show finishes with the queen’s national election of the grape harvest.

Other celebrations and events 

Apart from the central act, other events are organized.

Treading grapes

Before, it was carried out in a traditional and historic Winery Orfila and since 2006, the celebration usually happens in Mendoza Plaza Shopping mall. During the event, the vice queen of each department dances in big barrels on the stage and treading Cabernet grapes.

Mega wine-tasting

Big prize harvest