Palmela launches 63rd Harvest Festival, honoring wine heritage

On 18 July, the Associação das Festas de Palmela unveiled the 63rd edition of the Festa das Vindimas at the Largo de São João, with the Castle of Palmela as a backdrop. The celebration, scheduled for 3–8 September, will run under the motto “A Tradição que nos Une”.

Local officials attended the presentation, including Vice‑President of the Municipal Chamber Fernanda Pésinho, Councilor José Carlos Sousa, President of the Municipal Assembly João Pedro Leitão, and Parish Council President Jorge Mares. The event also featured Carolina Sousa, crowned Queen of the 2025 Festival, and Inês Carvalho, the Ambassador of the Portuguese Wine Territories for 2025.

Association President André Ribeiro highlighted the community’s strong participation and recapped the group’s recent activities such as the Queima dos Judas, the Desfile das Marchas Populares, the “Cantares das Vindimas”, and “Fado entre Vinhas”. He noted ongoing financial‑sustainability challenges and the preparation of the traditional Cortejo, stressing that preserving the festival’s roots is more important than merely expanding its scale.