Tailem Bend Street Party

The first official “Tailem Bend- and The Bend Raceway” street party was held on Thursday 22nd August in the Centre of the Tailem Bend shopping precinct.

44 members from the Auto Collectors Club of Murray Bridge (ACCMB) departed from their clubrooms at 2pm, for a short run in their assortment of 22 classic vehicles, arriving at Tailem Bend a short time later.

ACCMB run coordinator and delegate to the street party committee, Jan Hall led the convoy into Tailem Bend Railway Station parking area where most ACCMB parked their “Pride and Joy’s” for public display.

With the main street partly cordoned off to limit vehicle access, the area soon became an atmosphere of pride and celebration for the organizers of the event, with people on foot massing into the street for the first official street party combining with the staging of the “2019 OTR The Bend Super Sprint” held on the 23rd – 25th October at The Bend Motorsport Park complex.

The main street area of Tailem Bend came alive during the next few hours, with food stalls, giftware, car driving simulators, mini golf, street eating areas, Classic car displays by the ACCMB and Tailem Bend Car Club and of course one must not forget the local main street traders adding to the event with suitable decorated shop frontages with suitable car racing themes.

At 5-30pm, renown Super Car driver from Ford’s DJR Team Penske, Scott McLaughlin, Red Bull Holden Racing Team’s Jamie Whincup and four other prominent racing team drivers braving the fine, cool conditions, sat patiently chatting and signing autographs on mixed memorabilia for fans queued for what seemed to be kilometers long for an hour.

In a suitably stage area, positioned and decorated with a car racing theme in the main street adjacent to the Coorong Council Chambers, local “Petrol Heads” and others travelled from far and wide, joined in the casual street party atmosphere, just chatting, looking, taking photographs, spending and admiring the large display of vehicles on display.

Then as nightfall came, the street was turned into another scene of party lights, with children enjoying the party theme, with their newly purchased colorful array of light sticks and balls, adding to the party atmosphere.
ACCMB members agreed that it was a credible first attempt by the organizing committee along with their many helpers who staged the event, and wish to thank all those people responsible for a great night in the life and times of Tailem Bend.

The ACCMB also wish to thank their Run coordinator, Jan Hall for her contribution in putting their club participation together on the day.

Photos/report by Graham Edwards & Jan Hall