CarFest or ChrisFest? This event divides opinion quite like no other motor show. In fact, many would argue it isn't a motor show at all but more a celebration of The Great British Bake-off, Radio 2 and the founder himself, Chris Evans. For me, though, and I'm guessing the majority of the thousands of high-spirited people who attended this year, it's a decent day out.
Crucially, CarFest's success stems from the fact that it has a wide target market. The Goodwood Festival of Speed, for instance, is an amazing spectacle, and worth every penny, but you get the sense that it's a car show for car people - no music or Mary Berry here, please. There's no doubt it delivers, but it feels more and more like a commercial exercise for manufacturers as the years roll by.
The annual Ford Fair is for people who like Fords, the Mighty Dub Fest is for those with a penchant for Volkswagens and Shelsley Walsh is for nutters who enjoy flinging a car uphill at insane speeds. They're all successful in their own right but are attended largely by people who enjoy their particular theme.
For me, this year was the perfect example of why CarFest's wider remit works so well. I took my parents along, and it wasn't long before my mum had scurried off to watch James Martin make an omlette and to enjoy the local food stalls. Later that evening, I don't think I've seen my dad happier than he was tapping a foot to Status Quo, a pint of Badger in hand. In between, I got to see a Peugeot 205 T16 scream past for the first time, a mint E28 M5 and some beautifully maintained American classics, which made me equally giddy. Lots of boxes ticked.
And all the while, there was a relaxed vibe about the place. Peugeot invited us to its stand and, I'll admit, I was fearing a sales pitch and a brochure tour. No such thing. Instead, I made myself feel very ill after being inspired by the firm's long bicycle history and getting too competitive on its virtual track bike race, and my dad nearly dislocated his shoulder trying to hit the fastest tennis serve. I know, I know: it's all very country fayre, but we didn't leave with 200 glossy booklets or a feeling of guilt for not buying a Peugeot.
CarFest isn't a car connoisseur's paradise, and those with little time for Chris Evans won't enjoy his voice ringing from every Tannoy or his trips up and down the main drag waving to the crowds. For everybody else, there are few events so well geared towards children and it kept these four adults entertained with its various offerings for two full days. That it has also raised some £6.5 million for Children in Need since 2012 only reinforces its place on the car show calendar for me.
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Went to the first day of
Sounds like a great day out
I enjoyed Carfest North this
It was a weekend away with the family camping.
Liked the relaxed atmosphere.
Got to see cars you wouldn't normally see, certainly not all in one place and actually moving too so you can hear & smell them.
In the evenings a great variety of live music.
There were the pop up showrooms - but if you only visited a few that didn't really matter becasue of all the other stuff going on
Didn't like the no booze rule - you must buy inside at inflated prices... but hey "it's all for charidee"