Farming Like Grandad & Country Fair

Visitors will be treated to an extensive display of vintage tractors, cars and machinery and their enthusiastic owners who have lovingly restored them to working order. Plus modern machinery for comparison.

To showcase the skills of the past there will be craft stalls and craft demonstrations with hands-on activities.

The Axe men/women competition highlights how fit our forebears were to just achieve what we take for granted, manually cutting wood for building and fires.

The sheep shearers demonstrate their speed and skills on the stand skills using a 100 year old shearing plant

“For the children we have pumpkin lantern, potato figure and sand art competitions, an animal petting area, a gymkhana and old-style kids’ games and races,” says Stephanie.

The Clydesdales, the gentle giants which worked tirelessly for us in the fields during the early settler days are always popular and give rides in the vintage wagons from the Waterwheel Historic Trust’s collection.

“We aim to have something to interest everyone. There’s a produce competition, Best Dressed Scarecrow competition, Steam Punk displays, line dancing, live music and food trucks.”

In true country fair style the Whakatane Scottish Pipe Band leads the Grand Parade of the day.