By Everett Potter. Photos by Gayle Conran.

One of the happiest places in the world at this moment must be the small city of Vevey along the northern shore of Lake Geneva in the Swiss Canton of Vaud.

For nearly one month, this city of fewer than 18,000 people is hosting the Fête des Vignerons, the Winegrowers’ Festival, a vibrant and colorful pageant that will be performed 20 times in a purpose-built stadium along the lakeshore.

Much more than a mere show, it’s an extraordinary social and cultural event that this year has more than 5,500 actors, singers, and dancers — most of them highly enthusiastic amateurs — performing before the 20,000 spectators who attend each performance … read more