The countdown is on for our biggest celebration yet! The 40th Annual Picnic at Hanging Rock!
🚗❤️ Celebrate Your Pride & Joy This Valentine's Day! ❤️🚗
They say you never forget your first love-especially if it has four wheels!
The 40th Annual Picnic at Hanging Rock Car Show is all about celebrating automotive passion. We have only one simple rule for entry: your car must arrive under its own power! We love all makes, models, and eras. Whether it is a concours classic, a work-in-progress, or your daily driver, if it is your pride and joy and you can drive it through the gates, it belongs here. Please leave the trailers at home-this day is for the drivers!
Since this year's mega show falls right on Valentine's Day weekend, we aren't just celebrating incredible horsepower, custom paint, and pristine builds. We are celebrating the amazing couples, partnerships, and families who support the passion and keep these beautiful machines on the road!
Whether you are rolling in with your romantic sweetheart, your ultimate garage partner, or your favourite copilot, we want to celebrate your shared love for the drive.
Grab your prepaid tickets early, pack your camp chairs, and bring your love along for an unforgettable day packed with 1,500+ incredible vehicles, great food, and pure automotive passion.
Because the best road trips in life are the ones taken together. See you at the gates!
We couldn't do it without our sponsors ❣️
A massive thank you to our sponsors Shannons Insurance, Burns & Co, Bowdens Own and Repco for their enduring commitment to this unique event- we couldn't do it without you!
📅 The Quick Details
When: Sunday, 14 February 2027
Time: Gates open at 8:00am. Event runs until 3:00pm.
Where: Hanging Rock Reserve, Woodend (approx. 80km from Melbourne CBD via the Calder Highway).
🎟️ Critical Ticket & Internet Information
- Pre-Purchase is Best: This is primarily a pre-purchased ticket event.
- Buy Before You Leave Home: Internet reception around the Rock is incredibly patchy! Buy and download your ticket to your phone (or print it) before you hit the road.
- Gate Sales: We trialled gate sales last year, due to requests from patrons, but this does slow down entry.
- Having a pre-purchased ticket ready to scan is still the winning move for seamless entry. (We understand that many participants want to see what the weather will be, that's fine, but please buy your tickets before you leave home. Don't chance not getting reception when you arrive at the 'Rock'.
- No Offsite Parking: Access is via country roads. There is no local offsite parking available. Revised VicRoads traffic conditions will be in force.
👉 [CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR TICKETS] (Link coming closer to the event)
🚗 How to Get There & Where to Enter
Follow the traffic directions and marshals as you approach the venue. Entry gates depend on who you are:
- Display Cars: Enter via the South Rock Road entrance (Gates open at 8:00am).
- Pre-paid Car Clubs: More information about this will be coming shortly. Entry details will be advised closer to the event.
- General Public: Enter via the gate on Straws Lane (Gates open at 8:00am).
- Sponsors, Vendors, Staff, Members & Volunteers: Enter through the North Gate on Colwells Road.
Leaving the Event:
- Display cars inside the reserve MUST exit via the North Gate Only. No exiting via South Gate.
- Cars parked in the racetrack/centre of the track must exit via the Straws Lane Exit Gate Only.
- Please follow attendants' instructions, as some older parking areas are now closed for environmental revegetation.
🏆 Trophies & Club Groups
- No Pre-Registration: Just rock up and scan your ticket. This is a massive "show and shine" style event showcasing vehicles across the eras.
- Roaming Judges: Our judges will roam the grounds to pick vehicles worthy of recognition. Winners will find notification left on their windscreen! Please follow the instructions to collect your prize.
- Club Groups Welcome: To park together, meet up beforehand (at a designated meeting point, maybe Woodend) and arrive all together in a single line. Tell the gate marshals how many cars are in your group, and they will do their best to keep you together. Don't forget to display an A4 club logo on each cars windscreen-MRADMC is offering a prize for Best Club Display!
♿ Disability Parking Facilities
- A dedicated parking bay is reserved next to the main arena for vehicles displaying a valid Disability Parking ticket.
- Please ensure your ticket is clearly visible. Traffic controllers will direct you to enter via the North Gate (Colwells Road).
- Alternatively, you can park in general public parking on Straws Lane and ride the Rotary Club 'train' drop-off service to the main arena.
🍔 Food, Drinks & Fire Restrictions
- Bring a Picnic: Pack a basket and settle onto the grass!
- Free Gas BBQs: You can use the free council gas BBQs onsite (bring your own utensils/cleaning wipes).
- BYO BBQs Banned: Personal BBQs of any kind are not permitted because the event takes place during the Victorian fire danger period. CFA personnel will be onsite monitoring the grounds.
- Food Vendors: Commercial food trucks and local community group stalls will be selling delicious options around the Reserve.
- Alcohol: This is a family-friendly day. No alcohol is sold in the reserve, though patrons may bring personal refreshments for responsible consumption. The Hanging Rock Cafe is also licensed to serve alcohol.
🎈 Family & Pet Friendly!
- For the Kids: Enjoy free miniature train rides and a popular animal farm!
- Market Stalls: Check out a wide variety of vendors in the Main Arena.
- Dogs Allowed: Your furry friends are welcome but must be kept on a leash at all times. Please note there is no drinking water onsite for dogs, so pack your own, and always clean up after them!
"We can't wait to share this day with you - get ready for an amazing time!"
