The mayor’s welcome

Mayor’s The welcome

Once again Jerez prepares to celebrate the birth of the new must with a programme of events packed with activities for all the public . From September 1st to the 17th both young and old will be able to enjoy this year’s edition of the Grape Harvest Festival, declared of International Tourist Interest and dedicated to El Puerto de Santa María, a beloved sister city joined by a close friendship and collaboration at both an institutional and commercial level .

The dedication of this edition of the Festival to the city of El Puerto is the first step we wish to take in order to clearly integrate all the cities that make up the Jerez Region in a Festival that, we cannot forget, represents a welcome to the new must which will give birth to sherry, symbol of our city but also of the whole Region . Our aim is for all the cities that form part of the Region to also feel part of the Festival . I hope that in the near future we shall be able to produce a photograph of all the institutional representatives of the different cities of the Region in this Grape Harvest Festival .

If we speak of wine and the Jerez Region we cannot forget the important and necessary work of the Regulating Council, with whom we always join forces to organise and prepare the Grape Harvest Festival . From these pages I wish to once again thank the bodegas for their involvement and also the Festivals commission, as without them we would not be able to organise such a varied, rich and extensive programme for all the public as that of this Festival which will commence on September 1st with the traditional Treading of the Grapes on the cathedral steps .

After the traditional Treading of the Grapes and the official reception at the Alcázar, we shall be able to enjoy an extensive festive programme which includes flamenco, culture, concerts, exhibitions and children’s activities; of special mention this year being the return of the International Puppet Festival . Wine will be very present, including the now traditional From Glass to Glass, the Master Class tastings and the variety of activities programmed by individual wineries; the Horse also has its place in a year in which we are to be congratulated as Jerez has been named European Horse City . The commemoration of European Horse Day will again feature in the grape Harvest Festival with its own programme of events culminating in an institutional presentattion to be held at the Royal Andalusian School of the Equestrian Art on September 9th .

I again thank all those entities and individuals that have made it possible for us to carry out this extensive programme of recreational and cultural events during the first half of September, and not forgetting the people of Jerez and visitors that participate in and enjoy all the programmed activities .

Mamen Sánchez

Mayor of Jerez