Serbia · 5 days
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Two rivers, one fortress, late nights and a lot of grilled meat. Five days in Serbia's capital, planned properly.
Updated Oct 2026Read the plan →
Wine and Drink festival · Vršac, Serbia
Vršac Grape Harvest Days
Grožđebal · Грожђебал
When is it
Usually a Thursday-to-Sunday weekend in mid-September
The 2027 date is not published yet. Last held: 17–20 Sep 2026.
At a glance
- Where
- Vršac, Serbia
- Usually
- Usually a Thursday-to-Sunday weekend in mid-September
- Kind
- Wine and Drink, Folk and Tradition
On Thursday afternoon people climb the lookout above Vršac, tamburaši play, and the tourist organisation pours 200 litres of free wine and grills 1,000 sausages over an open fire. This is the warm-up, called "U susret Grožđebalu", and the town spends the next three days in the same mood.
Grožđebal is the popular name for Dani berbe grožđa, the Grape Harvest Days of Vršac, the wine town in the south of Banat. The 68th edition ran from 17 to 20 September 2026. Its king is Vinko Lozić, a symbolic mayor of Vršac for the four days. In 2026 the new one was announced for the official opening on Friday evening, played by a young actor whose name was kept secret until then.
The program follows the same plan each year. Saturday has street races, a children's masquerade ball and an induction of a new member into the wine knights' order Sveti Teodor Vršački. On Sunday at noon an international carnival procession walks through town, and afterwards the "Grožđe iz aviona" game drops 150 small parachutes with prize vouchers. In the evenings there are concerts. The Wine Square stays open from Friday to Sunday, in 2026 with 24 exhibitors from Vršac and the region, and branded glasses are sold for the first time with part of the proceeds going to an ambulance in the village of Gudurica.
Crowds are large. In 2023 organisers expected about 150,000 people, with around 25,000 from Romania, and rooms were booked out by August. Book early, or stay in Belgrade and take the train: in 2023 Srbijavoz ran an extra late train from Vršac to Belgrade at 23:55 on the festival evenings. Check the current timetable, since the 2026 train times were not part of the program I could open. Our Belgrade guide covers the city as a base.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | – | Expected | |
| 2026 | 17–20 Sep | Confirmed | novosti.rs |
| 2023 | 14–17 Sep | Confirmed | novosti.rs |
Vršac Grape Harvest Days: FAQ
When is Grožđebal 2027?
Not announced. It is usually held in mid-September from Thursday to Sunday; the 2026 edition was 17-20 September.
Who is Vinko Lozić?
The symbolic mayor of Vršac during the four days. A new one is presented at the opening on Friday evening; in 2026 a young actor played the part.
Is the wine free?
Only at the Thursday lookout event, where the tourist organisation gives out free wine and sausages. On the Wine Square you taste and buy from the exhibitors.
Plan the trip
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