TARGAfest to become TARGAcavalcade

If you can’t bring the people to the cars, bring the cars to the people. Which is exactly what we’ll be doing at TARGA Great Barrier Reef. Changing the annual TARGAfest gathering of cars and fans on The Esplanade in Cairns to a tour of the field passing through the suburbs.

Called the TARGAcavalcade, the multi-million dollar field of the world’s best cars will travel a set 27-kilometre drive through Cairns on Saturday September 5, giving a chance for locals to witness the impressive collection right from their front yards.

The route has been designed to ensure that a number of suburbs are included in TARGA Great Barrier Reef for the first time, with the TARGAcavalcade starting in Edmonton and heading north before finally finishing at Cairns Showgrounds.  The first cars are scheduled to depart Edmonton at approximately 3.40pm on the middle day of the rally, Saturday September 5 

Residents will be able to have front yard BBQ’s and enjoy the free show drive straight past their front door with horns beeping and lots of waving. There will also be a number of key spots on the route where small groups of people will be able to gather with their fold out chairs and watch the cars come past in part of a one hour show.

CEO Mark Perry said that while the response to coronavirus crisis has seen many events and large gatherings cancelled, TARGA was determined to proceed and ensure that the people of Cairns had an opportunity to see the cars up close given the highly successful TARGAfest could not be held this year.

“We needed to think outside the square,” Perry said. “With the cancellation of a number of events in Cairns because of the pandemic, we are determined to proceed with ours even with the travel restrictions for Victoria, NSW & the ACT impacting some competitors attending. 

“We are a unique event that sees people spread far and wide over literally hundreds of kilometres and therefore avoiding a number of social distancing challenges associated with most events.

“The introduction of the TARGAcavalacade to take TARGA to the people avoids the mass gathering issues associated with holding TARGAfest on The Esplanade.  This will ensure that the residents of Cairns and car lovers from across the region will still get to see the TARGA cars close up.  It will be a fantastic day for families to get together and enjoy a brand new free event in Cairns.”

TARGA Great Barrier Reef will be the first TARGA event of the year, with TARGA Tasmania cancelled in April because of the pandemic. The event commences on Friday September 4 and will conclude on Sunday September 6.