A taste of ChromeFest 2024 at The Entrance. More photos are in the full gallery further down. Click any photo to see it large.
ChromeFest is the classic car show at The Entrance on the Central Coast of NSW. I went for the first time in October 2024. Nobody hired me. I went for myself, drove there in my 1965 Ford Mustang and walked around with my camera. The ChromeFest photos on this page are what I came home with.
If you've searched for the car show at The Entrance and want to know what it's like before you go, this is what I found as a first-time visitor: what's on, where the cars are, how displaying your own car works, where I parked, and some tips for getting clear photos.
What is ChromeFest?
ChromeFest is a classic car show and retro festival in the streets and parks of The Entrance. It's free for spectators, there are more than 400 cars, and it runs over three days. It has also been going for a very long time. For dates and how to enter a car, check the official ChromeFest website.
It isn't only about the cars. Lots of people come dressed in 1950s style, with swing dresses, polka dots, parasols, suits and flat caps. Plenty of them bring their dogs too, and some of the dogs were dressed to match.
Where the cars are at The Entrance car show
The cars aren't all in one field. In 2024 I found them in three main areas, and it's worth walking through all of them:- The beachfront car park by the water, under the Norfolk Island pines.
- The parkland, with the Ferris wheel, rides, flags and marquees, and rows of cars on the grass. A lot of owners had their bonnets up.
- The town-centre streets, past the Welcome to The Entrance Town Centre sign, with cars parked outside the shops and cafes.
Most of the cars are parked fairly close together, so there isn't much space around each one compared with a motor show or a car dealership. It makes the place feel busy and friendly, but it also makes photos harder.
What else is on at ChromeFest
Between the cars there's plenty to look at. The Vintage Speedcars (NSW) display had a line of old open-wheel race cars under their marquees, covered in hand-painted signwriting and sponsor stickers that are great to get close to. Next to them were hot rods with chrome blowers sitting on top of the engines.
There was a stage, and under a smaller marquee I watched a boy in a rock 'n' roll shirt singing into a microphone while people filmed him on their phones. Along the way there were stalls selling retro clothes. The Ferris wheel and rides sit right next to the cars, and plenty of families were there with their children.
The 1950s outfits
The outfits are a big part of ChromeFest. As you walk around you see people in all sorts of styles and colours from the 1950s onwards. I really enjoyed photographing the cars with the people beside them, because it tells a nicer story and the colours and looks match so well. One couple, him in a dark suit and her in a red polka-dot dress, walked past a red Cadillac and then a blue one by the water.
Displaying your car at ChromeFest
If you want to show your own car rather than just look, there are different options at different prices. You can display at the sports ground, where the main activities are, or pay for a spot on the streets near the shops. I didn't display my car in 2024, so I can't tell you what it costs. The ChromeFest website has the current details.
Getting there and parking
I drove to The Entrance in my 1965 Ford Mustang. I hadn't paid to display it, so I parked near the parkland on the other side of the bridge and walked in. That's about a 10-minute walk.
If you're going as a spectator, allow time for a walk like that, and for more walking once you're there, because the cars are spread between the beachfront, the park and the town centre.
Tips for taking photos at ChromeFest
The crowds make it tricky to photograph each car on its own. This is what I'd tell anyone taking a camera or a phone:- Go early in the morning, before it gets busy.
- Be patient and wait for a gap in the crowd to get a clear shot.
- Bring a wide-angle lens, or use your phone's wide camera. The cars are close together and you often can't step back far.
- Don't try to photograph every car. Pick the ones you like and take your time with them.
- Get close to the details. You can get right up to most of the cars, and badges, tail lights, dashboards and engines often make better photos than the whole car.
- Include the people. A car with someone in period dress next to it tells more of a story.
The cars I photographed
I can't pick a favourite. No single car stood out for me, because they're all unique in their own right.
What I did see was a huge mix: Cadillacs in red and blue, a copper Camaro in the town centre, a black Ford Thunderbird convertible with whitewalls and wire wheels, a white Mustang in race livery outside the shops, an orange Chevrolet with flames, a two-tone blue Ford pickup, hot rods with chrome blowers, and plenty of custom paint, from pinstriping to blue metal-flake.
The details are where these cars reward a closer look. Bullet tail lights on tailfins, button-tufted seats, chrome dashboards, Holley carburettors, fluffy dice, and even a drive-in food tray hooked onto a Mustang's window with a burger and sauce bottles on it.
I went back to ChromeFest in 2026, and those photos will be in a separate post soon.
Car show photography
If you're taking your car to a show or running a club day and want it photographed properly, I photograph car shows and club days. A half day is $890 and a full day is $1,650. The Entrance is more than 15 km from Epping, so travel there is quoted before you book.
Shoot details
Event
ChromeFest
Where
The Entrance, Central Coast NSW
When I went
October 2024
Entry
Free for spectators
Cars on show
More than 400
How I got there
Drove my 1965 Ford Mustang
The full gallery
More photos from ChromeFest 2024 at The Entrance: the cars, the details and the people. Click any photo to see it large.
Taking your car to a show?
I photograph car shows and club days: half day $890, full day $1,650 inc GST. Travel beyond 15 km of Epping is quoted before you book.
