If you’re a fan of big trucks and lots of them, then come 10 October you’ll need to make tracks to Braidwood, where the first-ever Braidwood Big Wheels Festival will be taking place.

The community-focused event will be the first of its kind in Braidwood, and the organising committee, made up of members of the Braidwood Lion’s Club, hopes people from across the region will turn out in full force.

The idea for a truck-centric fundraiser was hatched by local truck driver and Braidwood Freight owner Nick Turner, who is looking forward to delivering a full day of family fun.

The restored Gellibrand cared for by the Braidwoood Museum and Heritage Centre will be taking part in the festival. Photo: Braidwood Museum.

The event will begin on Braidwood’s main street, where more than 60 trucks, tractors and heritage vehicles will form a convoy before making their way to the local showground, where the festivities are set to continue throughout the day.

“What we want to achieve is a great family day out. All proceeds raised will go back into community initiatives run by Lions in the region. We have programs that support young people in conjunction with organisations like the Education Foundation, and we’d love to boost funds for those,” Nick said.

While the truck parade promises to be the showstopper, attendees can expect a full day of activities at the showground, including a show and shine competition, raffles, market stalls, historic vehicles and engines, live music and children’s activities.

The idea for the festival originally came to Nick after he entered several of his trucks in Goulburn’s Convoy for Kids.

“I just thought that we could do something like that in Braidwood, and it grew from there,” Nick said.

A full closure of Wallace Street is required to manage the truck convoy. Photo: The Braidwood Big Wheels Festival.

Nick spent the past few years arranging permits and road closures to ensure the big day goes off without a hitch, and he was determined not to take no for an answer.

“We had a little grief trying to get the parade through town,” Nick said.

“We were basically told that the only thing that shuts the main street of Braidwood is the ANZAC Day parade.”

With the Wallace Street road closure secured after plenty of persistence, Nick reflected on why he believes the festival will resonate with people and attract a crowd.

“Trucks are a part of Australian life, especially in regional Australia; without them, and having no train links out here, we’d be in a bit of strife,” he said.

As the man responsible for transporting the grog to Braidwood and Captains Flat, Nick plays a key role, and possibly the most important logistics role, in the region. He’s looking forward to sharing his enthusiasm for trucks with the wider community.

“People get quite passionate about their trucks, keeping them neat and tidy.”

Given the level of planning and preparation involved, Nick is reluctant to promise that the event will become an annual tradition if it proves successful. However, he hopes it could become a biennial event the town can look forward to.

For more information on the Big Wheels Festival, head to the website.

Original Article published by Tenele Conway on About Regional.