March is the most festive month in the Cuyo region, due to the celebration of the traditional Grape Harvest Festival. Then, if you are about to visit this beautiful Argentinean province, you should take that into account when making your reservations at the Mendoza’s 5 Stars Hotel. The first festival was celebrated in 1936, at the General San Martín Park, and it still remains as the most important festivity over the entire region and even the country.

Every year, the new harvest is welcome with musical shows, wine tastings, parades and the election of the Grape Harvest Queen. The festival begins with coaches touring over the main streets of the capital city to the San Martín Avenue. Then, the central acts take place in the Gimnasia y Esgrima stadium. However, the Grape Harvest Festival is not officially inaugurated until the Blessing of the Fruit is held. This ceremony symbolizes a mark of respect to the first peasants and their praises to the Carrodilla Virgin, in order to thank her for the good crops. That tribute became a tradition as the time went by.

Candidates from every department of Mendoza province parade along the Queen’s White Way as their people cheer for them, hoping their representative becomes the next Grape Harvest Queen. The following day the main streets of Mendoza city get crowded, as the queen parade takes place. That is the moment when queens and princesses from each department ride on their coaches, waving to the audience. The Election of the Grape Harvest Queen is held that night, at the Romero Day Greek Theater. A splendid show, with fascinating artistic performances provides the perfect scenario for a unique ceremony.

None of the guests at the Mendoza’s 5 Starts Hotel would ever miss the opportunity to witness such an extraordinary celebration. The Grape Harvest Festival is actually much more than a regional festivity. Visitors from all over the country and even the world, come to the capital city to celebrate a new harvest and get familiar with the winemaking process. Winegrowers and winemakers share their experiences and offer their products during this wonderful celebration, where the warm temperatures of the last summer days are the natural hosts. Music, lights, colors, flavors and festive spirits combine in the most fantastic way to make the Grape Harvest Festival an unforgettable experience for those who take part in it.