Steampunk enthusiasts Alan and Shelley Bisset drove from Upper Hutt to attend Whanganui Vintage Weekend for the first time. Photo / Erin Smith
Thousands gathered from across New Zealand to enjoy Whanganui Vintage Weekend with more than 50 events held from Friday to Monday. Erin Smith went along.
Event manager Fergus Reid said the weekend was potentially bigger than last year’s.
“From all reports that I’ve had from the various trust members and people on the streets, it’s been a great success.”
The event kicked off with museum tours, cruises on the Paddle Steamer Waimarie with guest star Andrew London, and a Vintage Do with Raucous Brass and more on Friday.
The busiest day of the weekend on Saturday began at 8.30am with the Whanganui Retro River City market which had one of its busiest weekends ever, Reid said.
“The stallholders ... did three Christmas-markets’ worth in one day.”
The town whistled with steam engines through the day on Saturday with the many different rides to choose from - including the iconic Waimarie, several steam-locomotive train rides, and steam-traction trailer rides.
Vintage cars, live music, vendors and street performers lined Victoria Ave from 10am to 10pm with the Mainstreet Caboodle.
“Looking at the crowd on Saturday night down at the Caboodle, that looked like one of our biggest crowds we’ve ever had,” Reid said.
“From early estimates, I’d say it’s probably slightly bigger than the numbers we had last year, which was good.
“It’s a kind of constant growth we’re aiming for, trying to get it better and better.”
On Sunday, festivities began at 8.30am, with the Burma Rally.
That was followed by the Whanganui Vintage Fair at Springvale Stadium.
Market stall holder and owner of vintage boutique Fern and Ivy, Sarita Burgess, said the market was busy from the moment doors opened.
“It’s waves of busyness, and then I get a chance to breathe, and then it comes back again.
“So it’s been really good.”
Burgess travelled to Whanganui from Hawke’s Bay for the Vintage Fair.
“As a vendor, it’s known to be one of the more successful places where you can sell,” she said.
“So that’s why I made the trip from Hawkes Bay.”
Whanganui skies filled with vintage and ex-military aircrafts from 10am for the Wanganui Aero Club Open Day at Whanganui Airport.
The airfield was flooded by spectators and families enjoying the acrobatic airshows and the many aircraft on display.
The pilots were dressed in retro flying gear and jumpsuits to match their vintage planes.
Whanganui pilot John Luff flew Venom in the first airshow of the day, along with Charles Davis, pilot of the Strikemaster, and Lincoln Jones, pilot of the Pitts Special.
Friends Hayden Elmes and Oliver Krivan drove down from New Plymouth in the morning on Sunday to see the Aero Day displays.
“It’s a really good turnout,” Krivan said.
“It’s a bit of shame about the wind, but what are you gonna do?”
Krivan is a pilot himself and flies for Air New Zealand.
“I’m interested in planes and here we are, having a look around,” he said.
“See some different things.”
One of the highlights of the Aero Day, he said, was seeing the fast jets, and that he’d love to fly one someday.
“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re into,” Krivan said.
“There’s something for everybody.”
It was promptly followed by the RNZAF Black Falcons aerobatics team’s free aerial display which soared over Castlecliff.
Back in the town centre, the Riverside Shindig filled the riverbanks with free live music for families and visitors alike with five different bands, food trucks and beverages.
The audience populated the grass with blankets and lawn chairs while the first band, bluegrass and pop group Hot Potato, began to play.
Alan and Shelley Bisset strolled along the riverbank behind the audience in elaborate steampunk attire.
The Bissets drove up from Upper Hutt on Sunday to experience their first Whanganui Vintage Weekend.
“We do steampunk and we travel all around the place,” Alan Bisset said.
His coat, which he made, was adorned with over 700 vintage World War I, World War II, St John, Red Cross and other miscellaneous vintage buttons.
“Most of them are about 100 years old,” he said.
He hand-sewed each of them onto his jacket to make his steampunk ensemble.
“Otherwise these are just sitting in a box.”
“So I get to display them at the same time.”
“That’s the thing with steampunk. It’s all about the bling.”
The Bissets came across the Whanganui event a few weeks ago on Facebook and decided to come.
“It’s the perfect place for us,” Alan Bisset said.
While in town, they visited the Whanganui Vintage Fair and many of Whanganui’s galleries and museums.
They said the highlight of the day was finding a Crown Lynn ceramic swan at the Vintage Fair which they now plan to take home to Wellington.
“Even though it’s a little bit blustery, there’s heaps of people around,” he said.
“It’s wonderful to see.”
The Vintage Weekend closed on Monday with Plumber Dan’s Soap Box Derby on Drews Ave and a selection of other events around town.
“Another thanks to the community for coming out and supporting the event both through going to the events and also putting them on,” Reid said.
“And of course our sponsors who make it all possible, because it is a massive kind of community thing this.”
“That’s what makes it accessible to everyone is the support we get from the community and sponsors.”
Erin Smith is a multimedia journalist based in Whanganui.