A significant increase in participation in this year’s annual Stellenbosch Harvest Parade, held at the start of February, highlights the continued importance of the event for the Stellenbosch community.
This is according to Danielle Chalmers, the marketing assistant at Stellenbosch Wine Routes, the main organisers of the event.
This year, 860 people from wine farms and community groups around Stellenbosch actively participated in the parade, which was held on 1 February, said Chalmers. This is compared with 720 people in 2024.
Groups of people gathered at the town hall in Stellenbosch recently to bless the harvest season and commemorate agricultural workers who form the bedrock of the wine industry, during what is known as the Stellenbosch Harvest Parade. PHOTO: Annemieke Thomaidis
The parade, which started at the Toy & Miniature Museum and ended at the Stellenbosch town hall, is meant to bless the coming harvest as well as honour the agricultural workers involved in the wine industry. This is according to Elmarie Rabe, manager of Stellenbosch Wine Routes.
In the past, the parade occurred on occasion. It was only in 2013 that it became an “annual, formalised event,” said Rabe.
“It started to commemorate the harvest season, but especially the agri-workers,” said Rabe. “They are working […] with their backs bent and turned to the sun.”
While the exact number of active participants was known, it was not possible to indicate how many people attended the event, as Stellenbosch Wine Routes does not officially track public attendance, said Chalmers.
However, Rabe believed that there was an increase in general public attendance.
Lanzerac wine farm was awarded first place for best float at the recent Stellenbosch Harvest Parade. The wine farm used the opportunity to celebrate 100 years of Pinotage and that they were the world’s first to commercially bottle Pinotage, said Emile Langenhoven, general manager at Lanzerac . PHOTO: Annemieke Thomaidis
A total of 12 floats formed part of the parade, including Lanzerac whose inflatable wine bottle served to celebrate 100 years of Pinotage.
The winery that won best float was “the first farm to commercially bottle Pinotage under its label,” according to Emile Langenhoven, general manager at Lanzerac.
This parade, like all the others, continues to highlight the importance of the wine industry for Stellenbosch, said executive mayor Jeremy Fasser, in a speech he gave at the town hall, honouring the parade.
“Today, we are here to celebrate, to showcase… our heritage, our love for wine, and, again, we want to show our deepest appreciation to all the farming communities who make it special,” said executive mayor Jeremy Fasser, in a speech blessing the harvest and commemorating the agricultural workers during the recent Stellenbosch Harvest Parade. PHOTO: Annemieke Thomaidis