Fête des Vendanges

This weekend was a whirlwind to say the least! Chloe and I went to the mall after school on Friday to buy our weekend outfits—we needed to look like true Neuchies! So, we bought leather jackets and black booties. Friday night was when the real party began. I've been to many festivals and things in my seventeen years of living, but never to anything like this. Tons of people roamed the streets, clutching their bags and guarding their things (pick pocketing is a big issue). There were vendors of all sorts lines alone to narrow streets, selling things like scarves, asian noodles, and alcohol. The place you could find me as the festivities went on was, of course, the music stage. I've always been obsessed with music and dancing, so of course I spent 8+ hours there this weekend! It was so fun to walk around Neuchâtel at 1 am with my classmates and dance in crowded pits with random Europeans as I swung my arms around and danced to the beat. On Saturday night, a random guy said in a thick accent: "You speak English? You want to jump very high?" I nodded my head, so he wrapped his hands around my waist and we bobbed up and down 1, 2, 3, and then he lifted me up so high into the air I could see the whole crowd! I danced in the front the entire time (typical) and the cameraman for the company kept filming me for their promotional videos!
On Saturday morning, the class and I went to an adorable parade in a small village about an hour away from Neuch. The parade was basically a ceremony celebrating bringing herds of cows down from the mountains. They had on these little headdresses and huge cowbells around their necks!

 Friday night on the train to fete!

 The border of the festival

 By the main stage

 Sassy posing with Chloe

 The cows

Old Swiss men :)

 Goats

whips

Fireworks on Saturday night

Guggenmusik