Repco Takapuna Rocks was a brand new event for the North Shore in 2019. Thousands turned out for that inaugural event which encouraged the organisers to make it an annual fixture on the calendar. Repco Takapuna Rocks 2020 – taking place on Saturday October 24th – is set to draw classic car enthusiasts from the length and breadth of the country to Takapuna on the Saturday of Labour Weekend. Locals and visitors will join in the family fun, with countless options of food and refreshments and an opportunity to enjoy an extensive show of some of the country’s finest cars, lovingly preserved from our past. Best of all, Takapuna Rocks is also a community fundraising event. Channel Mag’s Aidan Bennett caught up with event organiser Matt Turnwald during July to learn what he has in the pipeline for Repco Takapuna Rocks 2020.
AIDAN BENNETT: First of all Matt, well done for launching this new event in 2019. Launching something like this from scratch is a big undertaking. You must be thrilled with how it went and that it looks like being bigger again in 2020, despite the upheavals that the year has dished out?
MATT TURNWALD: The start to the year has certainly had its challenges and has seen many Classic Car and Rock 'n' Roll events postponed, but we are ready to go with Repco Takapuna Rocks 2020 and excited to be bringing this free family fun day to Takapuna. We launched for vehicle registrations on July 4th and already the interest has been strong from classic car, bike and hot rod owners to be in the show. We are also selling tickets fast for our Repco After Party/Hop where we have Tom Sharplin and the Cadillacs playing. We have also booked some great vendors for the Vintage Market stalls, and the Pin Up competition entries are flowing in. All in all it promises to be even bigger and better than last year.
AB: For our readers who didn’t attend in 2019, can you explain exactly what Repco Takapuna Rocks is all about?
MT: Repco Takapuna Rocks is a classic car, bike and hot rod show which gives car enthusiasts an opportunity to show off their vehicles from a bygone era.
Some of the country’s finest examples of pre ’72 classics will be there on the day and we encourage people to come down to The Strand, bring the kids and hear the live music, see the Rock 'n' Roll dancers, wander around and shop at the Vintage Markets, see our Pin Up competition and relax at the cafés and restaurants or grab some great food from our food and coffee vendors.The show opens at 10am and the Pin Up is at 3pm followed by the prize-giving for the show.
AB: It must be great to have a lead sponsor like Repco? They are a great fit for the event and most of your other sponsors are back again as well, I understand?
MT: Repco are fantastic to partner with and help us to make the event really special with their wealth of experience with classic car events and their supportive team making sure we have great prizes and giveaways. We are really grateful to our entire family of sponsors for their continued participation and to the Takapuna Beach Business Association and Devonport Takapuna Local Board for giving us their support again this year.
AB: You had 200 classic cars and vehicles in 2019 and are confident of having 300 for 2020?
MT: Due to the COVID-19 lockdown so many of the regular events had to be cancelled or postponed. So we will be one of the first major events on the classic car calendar and many of the classic car clubs, enthusiasts, and Rock 'n' Roll clubs are looking forward to the event and keen to get their engines humming again after a long break.
We’d love you to visit our website to see the event schedule and look at the gallery page to see a video of last year’s successful event.
AB: Takapuna’s main street is undergoing a bit of renovation, but your event takes place away from any disruption doesn’t it? And parking is going to be in abundance in Takapuna at that time with the new Gasometer carpark being open in addition to the Anzac Street and Bruce Mason Centre/Killarney Street carparks which should make things easy for visitors?
MT: We have The Strand – the road by the beach reserve – closed off for the day with a strict traffic management plan to ensure safety for the exhibitors, the public and the vehicles. We believe this is an ideal way to try and support the local business community by bringing visitors to the area for the long weekend and creating a family fun day and community fundraiser in Takapuna. As you say Aidan, there are plenty of options for parking in close proximity to The Strand.
AB: You are keen to grow this as an event for the whole family which is great. And it’s FREE! What special things are happening during the event in 2020?
MT: We have Shane Cortese as our fantastic MC for the day on the main stage and two live bands, Chet O’Connell and the Rock n roll Riots and then Boom Boom Deluxe, playing from 10am with dancing in the streets. There was lots of that in 2019. There will be the Vintage Markets and a Pin Up competition to crown Miss Takapuna Rocks 2020 and there’s face painting for the kids and of course the wonderful Takapuna Beach Playground.
AB: I understand there’s an after party planned this year as well?
MT: This year we are launching the Repco After Party/Hop from 7pm at Regatta Bar and Eatery featuring Tom Sharplin and the Cadillacs. Tickets ($25) for the Repco After Party are available on our website (see below).
This Repco After Party will be a chance to unwind after the day's activities and enjoy some classic Rock 'n' Roll music and dance the night away.
AB: I know you guys organise this very much as hobby and a community event, with any profits going to charity. Which lucky charities will be the benefactors in 2020?
MT: We love the classic cars, bikes and hot rods and want to give people a chance to show them off but we are also passionate about our local community and so this is a ‘community fundraising event’ in support of Yes Disability for their new Youth Innovation Hub, Shore Junction, and also in support of Make-A-Wish NZ. We donate money from the vehicle registrations to the charities and we have volunteers from Takapuna Rotary there on the day rattling donation buckets and as it is free entry to the event we find the public give generously.
We hope you will come and join us on Labour Weekend Saturday, October 24th, for Repco Takapuna Rocks 2020!
