It’s time to polish up your ‘horse shoes’ and start planning for the 2024 Festival of Horsepower in Ipswich next month.
Two new events – the Queensland Karting Championships and the Western Star Race Meet at Marburg – are also set to add to the excitement over the month-long program of high-octane events.
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said the Festival of Horsepower brings high-energy action to warm up the winter months in Ipswich.
“Drag racing, horse racing, V8 supercars and everything in between, the Festival of Horsepower is ideal for those who have a need for speed to get their motor running,” Mayor Harding said.
“Festival favourite, the Ipswich Cup falls on Saturday 22 June this year, and is one of the social gatherings of the year in Ipswich with around 13,000 racegoers expected to salute the judges and check out the Fashions on the Field.
“The Winternationals will also turn up the heat at Willowbank from 6 to 9 June with the flame-spitting Top Fuel Funny Cars a must-see for our city’s large contingent of car enthusiasts.
“The festival kicks off with food trucks and family activities on 1 June at the Cruise the Night session at the Queensland Raceway and will continue right through the month, ending on 29-30 June with 2 Days of Thunder featuring a round of the National Racing Car Championships.
“The Queensland Kart Championships will draw competitors from all over Australia competing for the crown of State Champion over three days, 28-30 June, at South-East Queensland’s premier karting track.
“And if you prefer four legs to cylinders then the Western Star Feature Race Day on 23 June is a treat not to be missed. It’s held on one of the last harness racing tracks left in Queensland at Marburg and we all know how much fun a country race meeting can be.”
Mayor Harding said recent data from Tourism Research Australia showed day trips to the region in 2023 nearly reached 1.5 million.
“The latest tourism statistics show a 15 per cent increase in day trips year on year in 2023 with our events calendar proving to be a big draw card,” Mayor Harding said.
“This year will be an event not to be missed and we expect thousands of visitors to flock to Ipswich during this incredible month of events.
“Following the Festival of Horsepower, we then turn our attention turns to SPARK Ipswich in July before spring opens with Galvanized in September. Ipswich is the place to be for our remarkable and unique major events with offerings across the entire year.”
The Festival of Horsepower runs throughout the month of June. Tickets are available now.
Full details are available at Ipswichfestivals.com.au/festival-of-horsepower