A parade with over 40 vintage vehicles for heritage month on Saturday

This Labour Weekend Heritage Month are running a vintage vehicle parade in Whanganui Centre. Photo / Supplied

More than 40 heritage vehicles will take part in a parade on Saturday for Whanganui Heritage Month.

Event organiser Ann Petherick said the parade was a first for Heritage Month, and it was fitting as this year's theme was "transport".

She said notable Whanganui vehicles taking part included a vintage firetruck and Dempsey and Forrest's vintage hearse.

"We've also been able to get five military vehicles, including jeeps from Taihape."

Petherick said the newest vehicle in the parade would be a 1982 Jaguar, and believed the oldest would be a 1904 horse and cart.

The parade would also include 25 of Whanganui Vintage Car Club's oldest cars, 12 vintage MG sports cars and vans also taking part among others.

Heritage Month 2022 opened on October 8 with a boat parade which included more than 20 vintage boats on the Whanganui River.

Petherick said it started this way because the river was the first form of transport in Whanganui.

The first bridge over the Whanganui River was opened in 1871, where the Whanganui City Bridge is now. Photo / Supplied

"Then in 1871 coaches began running between Whanganui and Hāwera, and railways started in 1878."

She said trams were introduced to Whanganui in 1908.

For Petherick, the horse-drawn carts would be the standouts in the parade.

"Some young people have never seen them in real life."

The parade would start at 1pm at Victoria Ave, from Ingestre St to Ridgway St and finish at the Whanganui Opera House.

Then on Sunday, Petherick said there would be a park-up at the racecourse.

Whanganui Heritage Month event organiser Ann Petherick. Photo / Supplied

She said there would be some vehicles from the parade there as well as others.

"All the cars will be parked with the owners and people can go have a look at them, sit in some and take some pictures."

She said Sunday would include live music, food trucks and activities for children including dodgem cars.