Three days of local customs, music, and gastronomy set against the backdrop of a golden autumn landscape: the Merano Grape Festival is one of the major highlights of the city’s event calendar. Because the festival dates back to 1886, it is actually a high point for people from all over South Tyrol – certainly for those who identify most with South Tyrol and are deeply rooted in the land.
The Merano Grape Festival takes place at the end of the harvest and is a tribute to wine culture, which plays an important role in the local economy. Every five years, the Grape Festival also hosts a music festival sponsored by the Verband Südtiroler Musikkapellen (Association of South Tyrolean Bands).
The festivities usually kick off on Friday morning. Delicious local specialties are served, and bands fill the Old Town and the Passer Promenade with music. The zenith of the festival takes place on Sunday: in the afternoon, the traditional grand parade snakes its way through the city streets. The high-spirited parade comprises about fifty groups and floats. Participants include bands, folk dancers, music clubs, traditional costume guilds, fanfare corps and marching bands.