TWENTY-six years after the inaugural Monaro Nationals event was held in Wangaratta, the rural city is set to host the 2024 gathering, with the motto 'Monaro is Back'.
An estimated 271 Holden Monaros will be on display at the Wangaratta Showgrounds on Saturday, October 26 in a show and shine event which will be open for public viewing from 10am to 4pm.
There will also be displays at the Showgrounds from the Rod and Custom Club and the Early Holden Car Club, along with market stalls and a range of food trucks.
Admission to the event will be $10 adults and under 18s free, with parking available on the day for non-entered Monaros at a cost of $20 (payable at the gate entry between 7.30am and 9.30am on the day).
The October 26 show and shine event will be part of the third day of the Monaro Nationals event, which is expected to draw close to 500 people to Wangaratta for a weekend of activities in the district.
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It will be hosted by Monaro Club Victoria, which is excited about bringing the gathering back to the city where it was first held in 1998.
"We have attendees coming from Australia-wide, many of whom only get to reunite every two years for this biannual event," Marlene Rowe from Monaro Club Victoria said.
"Some of our entrants attended the first Monaro Nationals event, which started as a trial run in 1998 in Wangaratta to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first Monaro made.
"That first event was a huge success, with 300 Monaros attending, and led to subsequent Monaro Nationals being held in Wangaratta in 2000 and 2002, before it was hosted by Bathurst in 2004, which heralded a state-by-state allocation of hosting the event every two years somewhere in Australia."
The most recent nationals were held in Queensland's Toowoomba in 2022.
This year's event will kick off on Thursday, October 24 with registration and scrutineering, followed by an entrants meet and greet at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre on Friday, October 25.
After the show and shine at the Showgrounds on Saturday, October 26, there will be an informal cruise around Wangaratta from 6pm.
Sunday, October 27 will feature a driving event at Winton Motor Raceway from 9.30am to 2.30pm, which will also be open to the public, with the national presentation dinner to be held for entrants that night.
On Monday, October 28, the nationals will wind down with a farewell cruise poker run leaving from the Wangaratta airfield.
For more information about the Monaro Nationals, visit www.monaroclubvic.com.au
