Stellenbosch Harvest Parade paints town red with winemaking pride

Winemaking camaraderie caters for traffic-stopping entertainment on Saturday, 27 January 2018

Cape minstrels, drum majorettes, merry farm workers, marching brass bands and barrels of fun...Be sure to claim your spot on the pavement when the oak-lined streets of Stellenbosch will be invaded by its colourful winemaking community for its annual Harvest Parade on Saturday, 27 January 2018.

This convivial convoy of big smiles and bold tractors promises to cater for traffic-stopping entertainment, when the uniquely adorned ‘chariots’ sashay their way through the City of Oaks to usher in the grape harvest season’s hustle-and-bustle.

Aside from offering massive spectator value and a fun day out on town, the Stellenbosch Harvest Parade also pays homage to the real people behind this labour of love and especially the invaluable contribution of South Africa’s farm workers.

The highlight of this Proudly Stellenbosch procession is an eye-catching flotilla of bright and beautifully decorated tractors, trailers and farm trucks – all uniquely adorned by the workers themselves. The 2018 parade troupe will represent participating wineries such as Simonsig, Lanzerac, Waterford, L’Avenir, Eikendal, Alto, Neethlingshof, Kleine Zalze Wines, Middelvlei and Delheim.

“Our Harvest Parade, a heart-warming tradition, is a great way of not only celebrating the work of thousands of men and women responsible for sustaining the wine industry in Stellenbosch, but also acknowledges them as an integral component of our industry,” share Stellenbosch Wine Routes Manager Elmarie Rabe.

The Stellenbosch Harvest Parade 2018, presented in conjunction with the Stellenbosch Municipality, gets underway on 27 January from 9am. It will be followed by a harvest blessing and awards ceremony at the town hall in Plein Street at 10am. It also signals the start of the Stellenbosch Wine Festival presented by Pick ‘n Pay, which takes place at the Coetzenburg sports grounds from 23 to 25 February. Don’t miss any of the wine festival action and buy tickets now at www.webtickets.co.za.

Bring the whole family and come and cheer the Harvest Parade on as they paint the town red with their winemaking pride and gees.

For more information visit www.wineroute.co.za; contact Tel: 021 886 8275, or send an email to explore@wineroute.co.za. Also follow @StellWineRoute on Twitter and Instagram (stellenboschwine).