When the festival was first conceived in 2004, Audrey, the Art Gallery Director called Deeny, the local jazz singer and asked “what do you think about Jumpers on Trees, Jazz in the Streets and Jalopies on display, and all of this happening in July?”
That was the beginning of what we now know as the Grand Auto Display. The jalopies disappeared from the festival line up for quite a few years, before the cars were brought back as one of the festival events called Grand Vintage Car Display. Move forward 20 years from those first days of jalopies in the street and we have the Grand Automobile Display delivering a fabulous static display of more than 250 veteran, vintage, classic and muscle cars including classic motorcycles and machinery, building on Warwick’s reputation as the “Horsepower Capital of Australia”.
Billed as the “something for everyone” event in the program, some of the fellas reckon this is their day, but a lot of ladies would challenge that notion. Offering a static display of vehicles throughout the historic main street of Warwick, and expanding down into Leslie Park in recent years, gives ample opportunity for the car enthusiasts to showcase their prized possessions and for the festival attendees to ‘drool’ over these treasures.
This is not just a static car display – it has so much more to offer. Adding to the attraction of this day is the opportunity to wander the streets and enjoy the vibe of 3 live jazz stages, almost 100 trees wrapped in textile art or visit the artisan pop-up stalls throughout the CBD (Showcasing Our Ateliers Precinct)
So in conclusion, when we think about how this event has evolved from a few Jalopies in the street, to the Grand Vintage Car Display and now the Grand Automobile Display with upwards of 250 exhibits we are suitably proud of this event and very appreciative of the fellas in the working group who spend months to bring this event together in the best possible way.
Written by Pam Burley, President and Event Coordinator