The Bendigo group are very excited to announce that we have been accepted as entries into the 2024 Bendigo Easter Parade.
This auspicious event will retrace the historic 1958 parade where the Melbourne Vespa club had a number of entries and wowed the crowd with their futuristic bikes and performed accrobatic displays.
Two events are planned which include the Torchlight Presentation on Saturday night and the Gala Easter Parade on Sunday, we are entered in both events.
Our entry is for twenty vespas, the Bendigo group are planning on entering ten bikes. We have an open invitation for other members to join us for this fun weekend and if you would like to be a part of the the parade we have ten spots available, please let us know via a response in this chat.
TO REGISTER:
Mark yourself as 'Going' here on this event. By 15 February.
Then email Russel - kaysel@bigpond.com - with 1. Your Name (as it appears on your licence) 2. Your Driver Licence Number & 3. Your Vespa Registration Number. Russel will then lodge you with the City of Bendigo.
Members: 1. There will be a Melbourne ride up to Bendigo on the Saturday morning. It will go up as a separate event. Of course you can come even if you don't want to be in parade. Should be a great club weekend away and a good laugh.
2. The club has reserved some accommodation at a very reasonable price very close to the centre of town for Saturday and Sunday night. We'll put up more information very soon. But please indicate whether you'd want to be in this, on the comments below. Or you can book your own.
Other activites we are planning will include:
Saturday
- Torchlight parade
- meet up at the Black Swan hotel after the torchlight parade for a chat and light dinner.
Sunday
- Breakfast Gathering
- Gala Parade
- Dinner
Monday
- Ride to the Rheola country easter carnival
Please check this post often as updates will be posted regulary with additional detail including accommodation options and further information regarding the parade.
Accommodation Options for 30 Mar - 1 April in Bendigo - Please book Now.
The other option is to book something for yourself, but being Easter the options are limited and expensive.
Please put your name against a room if you wish to stay at the Bendigo Backpackers with Greg and myself. It has fabulous reviews and is in the perfect location. Couples or singles welcome.
1. Bendigo Backpackers - 33 Creek St South Bendigo Backpackers
This lovely place sits just back from the main street so very convenient to restaurants and shopping. In the well-fitted kitchen, guests will find a stovetop, a refrigerator, kitchenware and an oven. The double room offers air conditioning, executive lounge access, a terrace with garden views as well as a shared bathroom boasting a walk-in shower.
Booked through AirBnB the price below is for 2 nights and you will need to pay me direct. If you comment you want one of these rooms, I will send the banking details.
Room 1: Queen Room $220 - Greg and Julie
Room 2: Queen Room $220 - David
Room 3: Queen Room $220 - Maria and Oscar
Room 4: Queen Room $220 - Sheryl
Looking forward to seeing you in Bendigo this Easter.
Comments
Hi all, this is the line up for the two parades. This also doubles as the entry ticket into the secured assembly area behind the Bendigo Gallery.
2024 Torchlight Line Up numbers finalx (1).xlsx
2024 Gala Line Up numbers finalx (1).xlsx
These are the instructions to enter the assembly area
Hi Community groups
Thank you for your patience, enclosed your parade assembly details.
You may print the enclosed Line Up spreadsheets and have them with you on the day… this will help us identify you are a parade participant.
In addition, parade assembly staff will also have your details on arrival.
O’Brien Electrical & AC Torchlight Procession
• Saturday 30 March 2024
• - Assembly from 5.30pm to 7.30pm
• Procession begins at 8:00pm
Sherridon Homes Gala Parade
• Sunday 31 March 2024
• - Assembly from 10am to 12pm
• Parade begins at 12:30pm
Please note, if you are situated in the front section of the parade, please arrived earlier.
If you are situated at the back of the parade, you may arrive later.
However, you may also arrive earlier if you need to set up your float onsite.
Parade Route is approximately 1.5km – starting from View street, Pall Mall, McCrae street, Chapel street & Bridge street.
At all times…
PARADE ASSEMBLY
The Parade Assembly area is the QEO (Queen Elizabeth Oval Car Park) behind Bendigo Art Gallery.
If you Assembly location are in A, B, C, D & E
You will need to enter this Car Park from Barnard Street,
If your Assembly location is in V (Left) & V (Right)
You will be required to enter View street from Barnard street.
PARADE DISPERSAL
Both Torchlight Procession & Gala Parade officially ends at the corner of Bridge street & Water street.
At the end of the parade, if you do not need to disembark, please continue existing Bridge street.
If you require to disembark & drop off people & props, please signal & turn left in to Water street… and continue on in to Tom Flood Sports Centre Car Park for dispersal.
For more questions regarding the Bendigo Easter Festival etc. - https://www.bendigoeasterfestival.org.au/about/frequently-asked-que...
Thanks Russell for all your hard work in preparing this weekend and to Julie also....can't wait. It will be such fun 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝
Sounds great Russel, thanks for putting in all the hard yakka for what is going to be a fun weekend for us all. Love the flashing torch light vespa. :)
Hi all, not long to go now. The weather is looking fantastic and we have a great contingent of riders all joining in the festivities over the weekend. I have prepared a basic itinerary for the weekend below. I hope you have your outfits at the ready and that your bikes are all prepared for the torchlight and gala parades. We are all looking forward to catching up with our Vespa friends and seeing what creative wasps/bees you have all come up with. It should be a fun weekend.
Bendigo Easter Weekend Itinerary
Saturday 30 March
9am Melbourne riders kick of their backroads trip
12pm Melbourne riders arrive Bendigo
3pm All riders to meet at the Black Swan hotel for a chat and a beverage, park out the front of the bar
5pm Gather at Marcus Blanks residence (41 Bayne Street, side entrance) to do any final prep and group up to ride to the torchlight assembly area. Bikes can be left at the assembly area and we can walk into town for a light dinner (Burger/Pizza, etc)
7 - 7:30pm gather at assembly area. Torchlight procession heads off at 8pm, we are near the front.
9:30pm we should be near the end of the procession, at this point we can remove any accessories and head home for the evening.
*There are amenities at the assembly area where people can change into costumes.
Sunday 31 March
9:30am Breakfast at Nude food, 143 Mollison Street Bendigo (Cnr Mitchel St)
10:30am head off to the assembly area and apply any finishing touches to the bikes
11:30am - 12pm gather at the assembly area ready to dispatch for a 12:30pm kick off
2pm procession should be near the end, at this point we can remove any accessories and head off for the day.
Dinner, many options available
*There are amenities at both Nude Food café and the assembly area where people can change into costumes.
Monday 1 April
9:30am Meet at the Maiden Gully bakery for a light breakfast
10am head to Rheola
11am arrive at Rheloa easter fair
1pm all to depart for destination
*Bendigo will have heavy traffic management during the weekend with many of the inner-city roads closed at various times. Please allow plenty of time to arrive at the various destinations.
My phone number is 0409790204 if you need to reach out.
Very exciting Russel thank you for the update.
So attendees start sorting your bumble bee out fits and grab some flashing lights and glitzy glam for the torchlight parade.
Think the pre parade meet ups can be at our Airbnb as there is room for scoots and you can leave your gear in our rooms. 33 Creek St South, Bendigo.
Still available are 3 rooms at the Eaglehawk Motel. Ring and book one of the rooms being held in my name.
Hi All, the easter weekend is now less than three weeks away. We have a number of bikes and riders registered for both the torchlight and gala parades in the Bendigo Easter fair and a number of other activities in the pipeline. It looks like it will be good attendence from the VCOM at this weekend.
For those who are participating in either the torchlight or gala parade, the theme is a wasp or bee. We don't have any specific costumes in mind so its a DIY costume, based on the theme for both the bike and the rider/passenger.
We have our parade positions which are attached, we are towards the start of the parade between the Bendigo Highland Pipe Band and the Hary Krishnar association Melbourne. The sounds of the bag pipes, the vespa's and the symbols should be a blast.
2024 Torchlight Line Up numbers finalx.xlsx
2024 Gala Line Up numbers finalx.xlsx
Cheers
Russel
Hi everyone
I will need to cancel any available pre booked rooms very soon. If you would like to come to Bendigo to see us in the parade and need a room please see the details above and book in now.
Hi Russel
Whoohoo Vespa Bee theme, that will be so much fun, and lights for the bikes for the twilight parade ok. :)
You should have Greg's and my insurance certificate in your email box now.
Also if there is anyone still just wanting to come to Bendigo for the weekend, there is still 2 rooms at the Airbnb Backpacker where we are staying, it's an old removated house in the heart of town, so please let me know if you want a room a.s.a.p.
There are rooms also at the Eaglehawk as far as I know, also in my name.
Not long to go so please act now and let us know your intentions. This is going to be such a fun and memberable weekend, we'd love you to join us.
Hi all, its getting close now.
For those members who are registered and attending/participating the Bendigo Easeter Festival this year we have finally settled on a theme at this mornings breakfast. After much debate regarding the options which included Easter dragon, Vespa Bee, naked, italian, 50's rocker or come as you are, we have a consensus for the Vespa Bee
.
The costume will be Yellow and Black stripped T-shirt with black pants and Bee antena. We have some options for the costume which Alicia is putting together and is taking orders for soon.
Dress the bikes appropriately for both the torchlight and gala procession. Christmas style lights are ideal for the torchlight parade which will be held on Saturday night.
The City of Greater Bendigo has also requested evidence of current motorcycle insurance in the form of an image of the insurance policy. I have provided the rider and motorcycle details to the city as previously requested.
We are also hoping to print up a commemorative penant for the event subject to approval from the club.
Hi Russel
That is great news and thank you for putting in all this work. Being Easter we hope there will be some members from Melbourne who will be able to join us for this wonderful weekend in Bendigo.
Cheers Julie
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