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When do the wine festivals take place in Alsace?
In brief
Alsace celebrates its wine all year round: the Colmar Wine Fair in late July and early August, the region's largest, village festivals almost every summer weekend, the harvest festivals in Barr and Obernai in October, and the Christmas markets at the end of the year. Exact dates change every year: check them before booking your trip.
In the Alsace vineyard, every season has its festival. From the spring fair to the October harvests, the villages celebrate their wines with folk processions, open-air tasting stands and tartes flambees late into the night. For visitors, landing on the right weekend turns a simple stop into a lasting memory. Here is the calendar of the main events, season by season, with our advice to enjoy them without suffering the crowds.
Spring: the season-opening fairs
The season traditionally starts around Easter with the Ammerschwihr Wine Fair, one of the oldest in the vineyard, where the village estates pour the vintage fresh from the vats. Spring is also the time of open-cellar weekends organised by many villages: a rare opportunity to taste while talking directly with the winemakers, before the summer tourist influx. Dates vary from one village to another, generally between April and early June.
Summer: the Colmar Fair and the village festivals
Summer is the beating heart of the calendar. The major event is the Alsace Wine Fair of Colmar, created in 1948: around ten days in late July and early August combining tastings from hundreds of estates with big evening concerts. Around it, the villages line up their festivals: almost every weekend in July and August, a Wine Route town celebrates its grape or its winemakers, such as the Winegrowers' Festival in Eguisheim in late August or the Wedding of Friend Fritz in Marlenheim in mid-August, a costumed re-enactment of the Erckmann-Chatrian novel.
Autumn: harvests and the fiddlers' procession
Autumn celebrates the grapes safely in. Harvest festivals liven up the vineyard throughout October, with two flagship events: Barr at the beginning of the month, among the oldest harvest festivals in Alsace, and Obernai in mid-October, with decorated floats and folk dancing. In early September, Ribeauville lives to the rhythm of the Pfifferdaj, the fiddlers' festival, one of the oldest festivals in Alsace: a medieval procession, a fountain flowing with white wine and a court-of-miracles atmosphere in the lanes.
Our advice to enjoy a wine festival
A few reflexes make the experience much more pleasant:
- Check the dates on the tourist office website: they change every year
- Book accommodation and restaurants early: festival villages fill up weeks ahead
- Plan the ride home: road checks are frequent on festival evenings, a driver settles the question
- Combine festival and cellars: quiet tastings in the morning, the festival in the afternoon and evening
- In winter, follow up with the Christmas markets, the vineyard's other great festive moment
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest wine fair in Alsace?
The Alsace Wine Fair of Colmar, created in 1948, held over about ten days in late July and early August. It gathers hundreds of producers and hosts major evening concerts.
When do the harvest festivals take place in Alsace?
Mainly in October, in many villages of the vineyard. Barr opens the month with one of the region's oldest harvest festivals, and Obernai follows in mid-October with its procession of decorated floats.
What is the Pfifferdaj in Ribeauville?
The fiddlers' festival, one of the oldest festivals in Alsace, celebrated in early September in Ribeauville. A costumed medieval procession, street entertainment and, its emblematic moment, the town fountain flowing with white wine.
Can you visit cellars during the wine festivals?
Yes, and it is a great combination: the estates stay open during the day, often with special events. Taste quietly in the morning and join the festival in the afternoon, leaving the road to a driver.