Vendimia Festival

Vendimia Festival, or "Grape Harvest Festival" is the most significant event in Mendoza, Argentina. The origins of this festival can be traced back to the 18th century when the harvesters celebrated the end of the harvest time and paid homage to the land and the weather for having made possible another season of work and the production of wine. Traditionally, a group of harvesters dances to the rhythm of the famous "cuecas" and "gatos" - the typical Mendocinian folklore dances - while playing their guitars in the festival.

One of the most important parts of the Vendimia Festival is choosing the "Queen" of the harvest season. in the past, the queen of the harvest season will be chosen in the festival among the female harvesters. She will "hold" the title till the next year after being awarded a cluster of grapes as a crown. Nowadays, each of the eighteen political departments of Mendoza holds smaller festivities where they pick their own queen, then that queen will represent them on the big night.

The big night of the Vendimia Festival is called the "The Central Act", which occurs on the first Saturday evening of March. It is the culmination of the harvest with a show in the central Greek Theatre Frank Romero Day, located at the foothills of Cerro de la Gloria at General San Martin Park. The Central Party is organized through an artistic script and the participation of hundreds of dancers and actors on a stage of great dimensions.

Duration: 3 days, around the first Saturday of March

Location: Mendoza, Argentina