Over 700 cars will descend on Taranaki for Americarna 2024. Photo / Ilona Hanne
Over 700 cars will cruise Taranaki’s roads this month for an annual event.
That event, Americarna, celebrates all makes and models of American cars, says event director John Rae.
“We have an impressive amount of cars that’ll be here for this year’s event.”
The cars will be driving along Taranaki roads between February 21-24, making several stops in towns during that time. Towns the cars will visit include Ōpunake, Waitara, Inglewood, Stratford, Hāwera and New Plymouth.
“In Inglewood there will be a street festival with live entertainment, food, drink, craft stalls, and kids’ activities. On Friday morning, we stop in Stratford for two hours. We arrive in Hāwera that afternoon and will participate in an acceleration event at 2pm. That night we cruise back to New Plymouth ready for the Americarnival on Saturday.”
Car owners will be easy to spot, John says, whether they’re in their vehicles or not.
“We have a dress code for each of the days. It’s all a bit of fun. On Wednesday we’ll be in Hawaiian shirts and on Thursday is Americarna T-shirt day. When we cruise to Stratford and Hawera, we’ll be in outfits inspired by the 50s and 60s. On Saturday, we’ll be wearing red, white and blue. “
The cars will travel a new route this year, he says.
“Once we’ve left Stratford we turn right in Eltham on our way to Kaponga and then we go left to Manaia. I was contacted by one of the daycares in Eltham who asked if we could do this so the kids could see the cars. We’re more than happy to do this.”
New to Americarnival is a demonstration by the Taranaki Radio Control Car Club.
“They will have an oval track on Ariki St in New Plymouth so the public can see what they do. The club is great and their demonstration will be very entertaining for kids who are young or old.”
While there is plenty to look forward to, John says the highlight is seeing the crowds support the event.
“On the country roads we often see groups of people waiting as we drive past. On the stretch of road between Pungarehu and Okato, a group of farmers come out and watch every year. We also get lots of school groups which makes the event quite special.”
The Details:
What: Americarna 2024
When: Wednesday, February 21 - Saturday, February 24
Timetable: Wednesday, February 21: Ōpunake Beach 11.30am- 2.30pm. Thursday, February 22: Waitara 12.30pm-3pm, Inglewood 4pm-8pm. Friday, February 23: Stratford 10.30am-12.30pm, Hāwera 1.15pm-5.15pm. Saturday, February 24: 10am-3pm, New Plymouth CBD. Taranaki Radio Control Car Club display on Ariki St
Stratford Press prints last issue as NZME closes 14 community papers nationwide.