THE Wallan Classic Vehicle Club is getting ready for the 11th iteration of its Wallan Show and Shine and Swap Meet, with a greater focus than ever on serving the community as part of the attraction of the show.
Event organiser Kerry Walton says there will be at least 400 cars and 200 sites for swap meet stalls, with people expected to attend from all over Victoria at Wallan Secondary College this weekend.
“It’s awesome for the town and awesome for us as a club. People are coming from all over Melbourne, and from as far as Bendigo. We’ll have a couple of cars coming from Mildura, as they just love the drive,” he said.
“The last couple of years have produced beautiful days, with over 400 cars and over 200 swap meet sites. There’s a bit of everything – there will be food trucks, so you can sit on the grass and have something to eat. It’s just five dollars to get in.
“There will be trophies for the car shows and the bikes, so come on down and see how it’s going.”
Mr Walton says the lucky dip of swap meet stalls means there might be something for everyone on the day.
“You don’t know what will come. People might have kitchenwares, cars, roadster parts. You don’t know what will happen. There might be someone who makes tools themselves or sells fireboxes. It’s the same as the Wallan market,” he said.
Mr Walton says the event continues to hold a bigger purpose than just people displaying their cars and selling parts on the day – it also brings together the Wallan community, with a big donation expected this year to Wallan Secondary College and a chosen charity.
“Once we work out the cost of running the event, we give the school a donation. We had the SES last year, and we gave them a $500 donation. They cut up a car for the public. It’s a great event that’s supported by the town and everyone in the area, so it’s good for the community,” he said.
Nevertheless, while Mr Walton is thrilled with the support from Wallan Secondary College, the growth of the event means he’s already had to consider what might happen if the event outgrows the space available.
“We’re in a situation where we might be looking for a bigger venue. The more popular it gets, the more area we need,” he said.
Public entry on Saturday will go from 8am to 3pm, with kids under 16 given free entry.
