VANDERBIJLPARK. – Sylviavale Heritage Museum together with North-West University and the Rotarians of Vanderbijlpark present the annual Wheels at the Vaal Vintage and Steam Festival as a fundraiser this weekend.
This year Midas is the main sponsor. The festival is to be held on Saturday August 31 and Sunday September 1 from 08:00 to 17:00 each day. It is presented at the Vaal River Campus of the North-West University in Vanderbijlpark. The GPS coordinates at the entrance gate are S 26 43’ 505” E 27 52’ 736”.
The entrance charge for adults is R50 per person and school-going children have free entrance. Visitors arriving in classic vehicles gain customary free access for two adults.
All paying visitors have a chance of winning lucky prizes when they drop the stub of their tickets with their contact details in the lucky draw bin. Prizes like high pressure washers, vacuum cleaners, electric tyre-pumps and more are to be won. Some vendors will also be raffling out prizes. The winners will be announced intermittently. Many classic vehicles and motorcycles will be on show but the festival is a celebration of our heritage and stretches beyond classic vehicles. Interest is high and visitors are expected from far and wide. Working steam engines such as the 1911 Marshall and 1925 Ransomes Simms & Jeffries will be driving antique machinery such as threshing drums and corn grinders. The 1923 Fowler Steam Traction Engine may once again be enjoyed puffing along. Much other antique machinery such as stationary engines will also be demonstrated and the old craft of blacksmithing will be on display, recalling the skills of a bygone era. A 1992 Volkswagen Citi Golf may be won in a raffle organised by Vaal Old Wheels. Tickets cost R30 and the draw is on Sunday afternoon. Many motordealers will be displaying new vehicles and many other products will be displayed and demonstrated. Antique stallholders will be on hand and those selling vintage parts will be at the Autojumble. A large Arts & Crafts section will be present, providing a large variety of odds and-ends to buy. Something of everything will be available to eat with many food vendors attending to every culinary need. The Rotarians will be running the beer tent. The website for the festival is www.wheelsatthevaal.co.za.
Source: vaalweekblad.com