Definition: winegrowers' festival

Three times a year, experts from the Confrérie visit the vineyards under its control and assess the work of the vineyard workers. Known as vignerons-tâcherons, these winegrowers work on a piecework basis for a vineyard owner. The Fête des Vignerons has always been held in their honour. About five times a century, the vignerons-tâcherons are celebrated and rewarded. The Confrérie des Vignerons de Vevey has ensured the continuity of the festival since its inception. It is the only body authorised to decide on the year of the event, which does not follow any particular cycle but takes place in principle once a generation. An unspoken rule dictates that the event must take place in an odd-numbered year. The Brotherhood sets the conditions for the creation of the festival, appoints the authors and takes responsibility for staging the festival with the help of entertainment professionals. The last festival took place from 29 July to 15 August 1999. More than half a million spectators attended the Coronation, a unique spectacle, and the 14 performances in a 16,000-seat arena built on Vevey's Place du Marché, as well as four processions through the town. No fewer than 5,000 costumed actors and professional soloists, actors, singers and dancers, folk groups with domestic animals, etc. took part. This artistic event, unique in the world, requires several years of preparation involving thousands of people from the region. In 1999, this gigantic undertaking, with a budget of 54 million Swiss francs, was managed by 350 volunteers.