The annual Stellenbosch Harvest Parade, which takes place on the first Saturday of February, attracts a large contingent of floats from surrounding wine farms, and a number of marching bands and drummie squads, to entertain the crowds that line the streets, from the parade start to the city hall, and back.
Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) is also a regular participant, taking the opportunity to celebrate the harvest, and to raise awareness about wildfires and fire season.
This year, a VWS contingent representing all four firebases – Jonkershoek, Newlands, Grabouw and South Peninsula – took part, with the yellows from Cape Town, having to make an early start to get to the parade assembly point on time.
The tradition of blessing the harvest was rounded off by the sabraging a bottle of bubbly, from which the assembled dignitaries drank a symbolic toast to the 2020 wine grape harvest.
