Vendimia
City of Mendoza
Overview
Mendoza is a great place to come for festivals, and the most important one each year is Vendimia. This huge event celebrates the year’s grape harvest - primarily focusing on the wine regions, but also including all other harvested fruit. The festivities include a parade, a pageant, music and dance, amazing food, and fireworks. It is an absolute must when visiting the region during harvest.
Vendimia kicks off the first Friday of March, with a parade at night of the beauty queen nominees vying for the title of “Reina Nacional de la Vendimia” from the different provinces of Mendoza. The aspiring beauties are dressed in pageant attire and parade through town on floats that represent their respective regions and its signature fruit.
On the evening before the (main Vendimia) parade, there is an incredible outdoor concert in Plaza Independencia, often with impromptu tango and salsa dancing in the crowd - quite a spectacle.
On parade morning, find spots right outside the main gates of Parque San Martin to watch the floats come through the gates under a sea of confetti. Float by float, the beauty queens slowly cruise by, throwing grapes, peaches, apples, pears, and even huge cantaloupes into the crowd. Young children have baskets strapped to long poles for catching fruit thrown from the floats and posters of the beauty queens.
That evening, the Acto Central is performed. It is an impressive performance of over 1000 dancers, fireworks, and live music where the Vendimia queen is selected with much grandeur by a panel of 50 judges. The performance is replicated the following two nights.
Before you go
Vendimia is Mendoza's busiest time of year. Book your hotel as soon as possible, and your flight far in advance, as travel costs can get pricey if you book it last minute.
Local tour agencies can help you secure tickets to the Acto Central - the main event where the Vendimia Queen is elected. .
