Begg festival back on track
The George Begg Festival is returning to Teretonga Park in Invercargill.
The motorsport festival was first held in February 2020, with the long-term vision of creating a carnival-like atmosphere similar to Goodwood in the United Kingdom.
The event honours the late George Begg, a Drummond farmer turned engineer turned race car constructor who built a series of vehicles that bested some of the biggest marques in the world.
Following a brief pandemic-induced hiatus, the festival is set to return to the south from March 30 to April 2 next year.
Invercargill businessman Scott O’Donnell has been a key figure behind the concept.
‘‘George Begg took on the world from Southland, and our plan is to run a worldclass event here in Southland,’’ he said.
‘‘We want it to be a real highlight on the calendar, not just for visitors to our region but for Southlanders too. People really got into the retro swing of things at the first George Begg event and we know they’ll be just as keen to do it again in 2023.’’
Organisers say the festival promises plenty of action on and off the track. Retro styling will take guests to a bygone era, with the four-day celebration featuring a mystery car run, entertainment, food and beverage, racing and evening events.
A ‘‘mystery star Kiwi driver’’ is also set to appear, with details to be announced closer to the time.
O’Donnell said the festival would also give visitors to Invercargill the chance to check out the city’s multimillion-dollar redevelopment as well as the Langlands Hotel project. ‘‘We’ve essentially got a new city – and now, a chance to really show it off to people from around the country.’’