Over a long weekend in late September, the streets of this small city in French-speaking Switzerland with a population of just over 33, are the backdrop for this outdoor party. It is also one of the largest wine festivals in Europe, with up to , people taking part over the three days. But it was not until almost 1, years later that a festival marking the start of the grape harvest in this region was organised. The first parade, in , gave way to a more elaborate Grape Harvest Festival , with a variety of attractions, in Local residents quickly lent their support to the popular festivities, as the proceeds were used to fund charitable causes.
Although the festival and its parades became a fixture in the region early in the 20th century, they were not held between and The festival resumed in with a format that is very similar to what festival-goers enjoy today in the streets of the old town — and still on the last weekend of September.
It is not a major winegrowing region, and organic wine is a way to stand out from the competition. All these wines can be sampled during the festival, especially during the floral procession on Sunday. The floats, now pulled by cars rather than horses or bicycles, are true works of highly colourful art.
Creating the floats for the Grape Harvest Festival is no simple task. Three weeks before the festival begins, the wood and foam frames are attached to the float platforms.
Then, at the last possible moment, each float is colourfully decorated with some 30, flowers, mostly dahlias and carnations. This painstaking work is done by volunteers from around the region who give freely of their time in order to carry on this Swiss living tradition.
