Harvest festival: support deemed deserved

The Harvest Festival deserves the support provided by the City of Neuchâtel. This is in substance the response given Monday evening by the Municipal Council to a question emanating from the ranks of the PLR ​​group at the General Council. One of its elected officials, Jari Correvon, called for better support from local companies involved in the event and for more transparency on the financial assistance provided by the Municipality to the organizing committee. It appears that the City provided services amounting to 735,000 francs to the Harvest Festival for the 2024 edition. One-off subsidies were also paid for the purchase of reusable cups, as well as for the payment of fees for using public space. For the municipal councilor in charge of the file, this support is largely justified. Violaine Blétry-de Montmollin talks about the influence that the City benefits from this event, beyond national borders. “300,000 people come to Neuchâtel […]. It fills our hotels. We have the last flower parade in Europe. Today we say that it is the 3^e Swiss celebration due to its scale,” insists Violaine Blétry-de Montmollin. The Municipal Council, however, says it is ready to further clarify the financial relations it maintains with the Harvest Festival. /sbm