The National Harvest Festival is perhaps the most representative tradition of the Mendoza people. It has more than 80 years of history and has become an inherent brand in our culture. However, behind the central event that is presented on the second Sunday of March, there are countless shows and presentations that are part of the same. Blessing of the Fruits, Carousel of the Queens and Via Banca, among others. However, here we will deal with departmental holidays.

Mendoza is composed of 18 departments. Each of them holds their own Festival of the Harvest between the months of January and February. With the participation of musicians, dancers and all kinds of artists. But of course, with the inevitable section to pay homage to the workers of the vineyard, the real motive of this tradition.

It is a show that fills the neighbors with pride and emotion. Families and friends prepare to attend that magical night, where music and artistic proposals are responsible for contributing the share of cheery. But the public is also excited about another aspect: the departmental holidays serve to choose the queen who will represent that municipality at the central event. It is that each district that is part of a department contributes to its queen so that the night will compete for election, by the public and by the authorities.

It's not a beauty pageant.

In these times, it is necessary to emphasize that queens are no longer chosen based on their physical appearance. Today, the queen, departmental or national, is chosen on the basis of a multitude of criteria that have to do with the cultural, knowledge, personality, etc . This is something that has been difficult to install in society, but for some years it seems to have taken root, and the comment of the people ceased to be “the one of San Rafael is very cute” or “the queen of San Carlos is half ugly”, to be “the one of Guaymallén knows a lot about winemaking”.

The departmental holidays 2020

• 16 January - La Paz
• 17 January - Las Heras
• 18 January - Guaymallén
• 18 January - Junín
• 25 January - Lavalle
• 31 January - Malargüe
• 31 January - Tunuyán
• 1 February - Godoy Cruz
• 1 February - General Alvear
• 1 February - San Rafael
• 2 February - Rivadavia
• February 8 - San Carlos
• February 14 - Luján de Cuyo
• February 14 - Santa Rosa
• February 15 - Maipú
• February 15 - Tupungato
• February 21 - Mendoza City
• February 22 - San Martín