Drive n Jive set to bring retro cars, rock‘n’roll and family fun to Bunbury and Eaton

Bunbury is set for an action-packed first weekend in March with retro cars, rock‘n’roll and family fun at the inaugural Drive n Jive festival.

The three-day event will start with a rock performance by four-piece band Rebound at the Bunbury Commercial Club on Friday February 28 from 7.30pm, hosted by the Bunbury Rock ‘n’ Roll Club.

The following day, Bicentennial Square, Pat Usher Foreshore and the Graham Bricknell Music Shell will be transformed into a vibrant hub of motoring activity with classic cars, food trucks, markets and other free entertainment from 1pm-8pm.

The Bunbury Rock ‘n’ Roll Club will host a fashion parade at 5pm, with people encouraged to dress to impress in 1950s and 60s-inspired attire, and there will also be a twist dance competition.

On Sunday, the festivities will move to the Eaton foreshore with a show and shine car show from 9am-1pm.

Event organiser Richie Howlett said the festival had been in the works for five to six years.

“I’ve been around cars and the hot rod scene many many times — I’ve seen the success of similar style events on the east coast and overseas, and I figured that it was time to give it a go,” he said.

Mr Howlett has been a motoring enthusiast since he moved to Bunbury as a boy and joined a car club at the age of 17.

“I’ve been involved in some of the biggest car shows in Australia,” he said.

“I was a commentator of Summernats for 28 years, I was a commentator for Motorvation for 25 or 26 years, and I’ve been a drag racing commentator for probably 30 years or more.”

Mr Howlett said the cancellation of the Bumpers ‘n’ Beats car show last year opened up the opportunity for a new event.

“There’s a line in a song that says when you see a chance, you take it. With the demise of that event I did see an opportunity to create something, and the City of Bunbury were on board,” he said.

With the preseason AAMI Community Series football match between West Coast and North Melbourne at Hands Oval also on March 1, Mr Howlett hopes those attending the game will attend his event as well.

“I‘m hoping that that we’ll have momentum and we’ll build this event,” Mr Howlett said.

“There’s events on the east coast that have been going 20, 30, 40 years or more and they’re attracting thousands of vehicles, and I still envisage that an event here in WA can do exactly the same.”

The festival has been supported by the City of Bunbury and the Shire of Dardanup.