Ces Saturday October 12 and Sunday October 13 takes place the traditional “Harvest of History” in the small town of Chusclanin the Gard. For the 25th anniversary of the event a copious program full of traditions awaits visitors.
“It’s a celebration that pays tribute to our elders,” says Véronique Ceysson Grillot, communications manager for the Union of Winegrowers of Chusclan. During a weekend, the small Gard village of 1000 inhabitants is transformed and takes a leap into the past. Straw scattered in the streets, period clothing and draft horses make the immersion all the more realistic.
The last harvest of the year like back then
The highlight of the event takes place on Sunday October 13. Dressed in old-fashioned clothes, visitors will be able to participate in the “last harvest of the year with draft horses, like in the old days,” explains Véronique Ceysson Grillot. Then, head to the cellar, recreated in the style of the past, to press the grapes. As a reward, budding winegrowers or not, will be able to taste their freshly concocted harvest.
Activities for everyone
Beyond this harvest, the rest of the event is punctuated by other activities. On Saturday, visitors will be able to discover a local market in which nearly 60 exhibitors come together to taste local products and wines from Chusclan in particular. Then, the festivities continue with mini-walks or a small farm where children will be able to participate by collecting eggs or painting animals. Finally, from 5 p.m. the event’s tavern opens its doors with an orchestra which will play music from Paris in the 1930s for an hour. This performance is followed by something new: the competition for the most beautiful mustache, then a meal and the traditional Harvest Ball at nightfall. “By offering a diverse program like this, we want anyone from the public to find their way there and also reconnect with this family side.”
For more information regarding the event program, visit ICI.