Cromwell Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival Saturday 20th January 2024
The annual Cromwell Classic Car and Hot Rod Festival, hosted by the Southland Ford Falcon Club, was held on Saturday 20 January 2024. This year, numbers were limited to 900 entrants, by pre-registration in excess of 700 registrations had been receivedand some late registrations were allowed on the day. Final entrant numbers were about 740 cars (which included around 40 Mustangs of all generations) and 12 motorcycles. Apart from the CMOC cars, there was also a good representation by the Southern Mustang Owners Club. The limit on numbers this year was solely because of the event’s popularity and the huge number of vehicles that have turned up in recent years.
A total of about 26 CMOC cars made the trek south for what is always a fantastic weekend of cars and camaraderie. On the Friday night, a number of us met for a meal at the Cromwell Town and Country Club, after which we could just walk outside to watch the pre-event cruise as it passed by on two laps of the town.
Some overnight rain caused a bit of anxiety, but it APPEARED to have cleared as daylight came on Saturday. An early morning wash of cars was immediately followed by more showers, which continued to move through as we got ready to enter the venue. By the time we were all parked up, the rain had passed and there was much frantic last-minute grooming as the Central Otago sun dried everything out.
Gates opened to the public at 11 am and there were still spectators arriving at 3 pm, with about 2700 people attending. There was plenty of opportunity to stock up on all sorts of food, goodies and memorabilia from the on -site vendors and a constant stream of spot prizes dished out by the organisers throughout the day.
As always, it’s a privilege to spend a day wandering amongst a collection of amazing vehicles,regardless of makes, models or ages, and to admire the pride with which they are displayed by their enthusiast owners. As far as I’m concerned, every entrant was a winner.
If you have ever thought about attending this event, do it! Just make sure you book your accommodation as soon as the dates are locked in and make sure you pre-register as early as you can. Keep an eye out for 2025 dates.
If you do go, and if you have time, take an extra couple of days to hang out in this amazing part of this country of ours. There is so much to see and do in Central Otago and the weather at this time of year is (usually) stunning.
(Article by Neville Hyland)
