Working draught horses give the Wandin Draught Horse and Yesteryear Festival a moving link to the Yarra Valley’s farming past. At Mont De Lancey Historic Homestead, horses, restored machinery and traditional trades show how rural work was done, while the museum and homestead put those demonstrations into a local setting.
The 2027 festival is on Saturday, 27 February and Sunday, 28 February, from 10am to 4:30pm each day. The venue is 71 Wellington Road, Wandin North.
Watching the horses at work
The draught horses are the focus of the outdoor demonstrations, showing the strength and coordination involved in agricultural work before modern machinery. Watch how the handler, harness and equipment work together rather than looking only at the size of the animal.
The programme combines demonstration time with periods when horses rest. Approaching or patting an animal depends on its handler’s invitation, so give the working area space and keep children close. Being near the paddock does not mean visitors can enter it or walk behind a horse.
Engines, vehicles and traditional trades
Vintage engines and machinery provide a different view of the same rural history. Owners and preservation enthusiasts help explain the equipment, its original use and the work involved in keeping it running. These conversations can be as interesting as watching a mechanism operate.
Blacksmithing and woodturning add smaller-scale craft to the larger horse and machinery displays. They show different materials and skills: shaping metal at a forge, or turning timber into an object through a controlled sequence of cuts. Stand within the designated viewing area and follow demonstrators’ directions.
Vintage cars and motorcycles broaden the collection beyond farming equipment. Rather than trying to recognise every model, choose a few displays and ask their owners about the details that make them distinctive.
The homestead and museum setting
The event’s setting is part of its appeal. Mont De Lancey’s historic homestead and museum connect the demonstrations with local domestic and community life, giving visitors a reason to move between outdoor activity and the collections.
Leave time for the museum areas instead of using them only as a break between demonstrations. A machinery enthusiast and a visitor more interested in household history can follow different interests while sharing the same day out.
Food and market stalls, gardens and picnic areas allow a slower pace. Children’s activities are advertised, but individual attractions and demonstration times should be taken from the event programme rather than assumed from a previous festival.
Admission and planning your time
Adult admission is advertised at $15. The 2027 event flyer specifies free entry for children under 15; check the applicable admission for an older child with the organiser.
Choose either day according to your plans, and ask about ticket conditions if you intend to return across the weekend. A two-day festival listing does not automatically mean a single payment includes both days. Allow separately for food and purchases.
A visit needs enough time to pause for demonstrations as well as browse the buildings. There is no need to fit it between several other Yarra Valley stops if the horses, machinery and local history are your main interests.
Getting to Mont De Lancey
Use 71 Wellington Road, Wandin North as the destination. The event advertises on-site parking, including accessible parking near the displays. Contact the organiser about surfaces, building access and the distance from the accessible spaces if those affect your visit.
Drivers should follow the signed event entrance. If arriving without a car, plan a booked final transfer rather than assuming there is a festival shuttle. The heritage displays are spread across an outdoor property, so comfortable shoes and weather protection are useful.
Wandin Draught Horse and Yesteryear Festival FAQs
When is the 2027 festival?
It runs on 27-28 February, opening from 10am to 4:30pm each day at Mont De Lancey in Wandin North.
What does admission cost?
Adult entry is advertised at $15. The 2027 flyer states that children under 15 enter free; confirm the applicable rate for older children.
Can visitors approach the horses?
Only approach when a handler invites you to do so. Keep clear of working equipment and supervise children around the paddocks.
Is there more to see than horses?
The programme includes vintage machinery and vehicles, blacksmiths, woodturners, children’s activities, and the homestead and museum setting.
Is accessible parking available?
Accessible parking near the displays is advertised. Ask the organiser about the particular paths and buildings you wish to use, as parking alone does not establish access throughout the site.
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