Apsley Alive will run from October 3 to 4 and include a parade, markets and live entertainment.

Organising committee member Cindy Cross said the idea was the brainchild of a group of women in the town.

“For a while everyone was saying Apsley is dying, so we thought we would have an event and call it Apsley Alive, because the town is not at all dead,” she said.

“As Apsley is one of the oldest towns in Victoria and has the oldest racecourse in Victoria, we decided to put together a weekend based on a vintage theme.”

Mrs Cross said the Saturday events would include a town parade, which would be the highlight of the weekend.

“We started with the idea of the parade and it has just grown from there,” she said.

“We have invited car clubs, motorbike groups and people with tractors to get involved. There has been so much interest.

“We put a challenge to the areas around Apsley, such as Langkoop and Bringalbert, to create a float for the parade to be judged against each other.”

Markets throughout the town will follow the parade.

“The markets will be in the middle of town and at the football oval,” Mrs Cross said.

“There are heaps of stall holders coming and, even with the food stalls, we have tried to keep the vintage theme going.

“There will be meat on the spit and other things, like lemonade stands.”

Other highlights include children’s games such as hopscotch, checkers and yo-yos and a pavlova competition.

There will also be blade shearing demonstrations, sack races, pony rides and rock and roll dancing.

Mrs Cross said people could also sky-dive at the event, if enough tickets were pre-booked.

The Sunday’s activities will include open gardens, dirt cars at the racecourse and wine tasting.

The event will finish with a drive-in movie at the football oval.