It is a colossal task, but by the time Thursday evening rolls around an empty paddock will be transformed into a small city.
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Rotary’s Ross Furness said this year’s Swap Meet has sold a record number of sites with more than 2700.
Over the past two weeks Rotarians have been putting up street signs across the paddock for easy navigation, physically marking each stall site, setting up a large marquee and tents, and setting out stakes and bunting to identify parking.
But the work has just begun. More than 300 volunteers will be rostered over the two-day event to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Ballarat’s Swap Meet is the largest in Australia, attracting visitors from all over the country and even overseas.
Mr Furness said from the 15,000 attendees, only 19 per cent were locals that lived within a 25-kilometre radius, while 34 per cent came from other parts of Victoria, according to 2015 figures.
Queensland and New South Wales were the best represented states in terms of visitors outside of Victoria.
While car and motorcycle parts, both old and new, remain the key focus, there will be something for just about everyone with a range of stalls featuring antiques, collectibles, tools and treasures.
But Mr Furness said people did not just attend for those special finds. A large proportion of the crowd was interested in the outing.
“It’s amazing how many people come here and have a reunion,” he said.
“This is the 27th year and lots of people will make sure they are beside their friends from previous years. We might have a whole street booked out for friends.”
Mr Furness said what set the Swap Meet apart from other community events was the characters you could find there.
“You can come out here and be entertained for two days,” he said. “There is no other event where you will experience the range of people that are there, they are just incredible.”
Mr Furness said in the five years Rotary had run the event, it had returned almost half a million dollars to the community.
The Swap Meet will take place from 7am until 6pm on February 24 and 25 at its site on Airport Road.
The event is $10 per day, children under 15 are free.
For more information visit ballaratswapmeet.com.au.
