Haere mai ki Whanganui

Welcome to Whanganui’s biggest party!

We have so much happening to entertain and enthral you. We kick off on Friday night with the Vintage Social and we wrap up on Monday with an old favourite, the Soap Box Derby… back by popular demand after a two year break!

Our traditional, headline events the Retro Market, Mainstreet Caboodle, Vintage Fair, Billy Webb Challenge and Riverside Shindig keep the party rocking on Saturday and Sunday and every day the streets will be filled with vintage cars and the sky will be buzzing from Air Chathams’ luxury 1945 DC3 scenic flights. And there’s lots more in the programme thanks to our friendly and fabulous community joining in, so get your friends together, plan your party and prepare to have a blast! 

If you’re from out of town, check out the party-packages our friends at House of Travel Whanganui have put together.  Our official photographer will be out and about everyday – see the photos on our Facebook page and when you share your snaps on Instagram, include #whanganuivintageweekend.

And lastly, a big thank you to our sponsors and supporters, and to everyone that takes up the invitation to celebrate beautiful Whanganui with us on this truly fantastic long weekend.

Bruce Jellyman
Chair, Whanganui Vintage Weekend Trust 

Where it started

The inaugural Whanganui Vintage Weekend was held in 2012. The Vintage Car Club was hosting a week long rally based at the Whanganui Racecourse, attracting 35,000 vintage car enthusiasts from around New Zealand. Whanganui Vintage Weekend was staged to provide extra entertainment and promote Whanganui as a great place to visit and live.

Events included the Caboodle, the Retro Market, the Riverside Shindig and the Soap Box Derby. These traditional events are still features of the programme along with the Vintage Fair and supporting events and attractions run by the community.

The organisers

In 2013, the Whanganui Vintage Weekend Trust was formed. The role of the Trust is to grow the event and Whanganui Vintage Weekend brand for the benefit of the Whanganui community. Current Trustees are Bruce Jellyman (Chair), Annette Main, Kate Joblin, Keith Smith and Rory Smith. Our Event Manager is Heather Cox of Social & Co.