It's no April Fool's Day joke – Bendemeer is on track to rewrite the record books again for the largest gathering of Grey Fergie tractors in Australia.
Having set the record at 153 back in 2003, Fergie enthusiasts have been waiting in anticipation for the next shot at the record.
Such is the popularity of the event that people are coming from as far south as Foster in the Victorian Gippsland; as far west as Barradine; and as far north as Nangaroo for the Grey Fergie Tractor Muster on April 1 and 2.
Event organiser Winston Doak said there would be a lot on offer on the weekend but the tractors were the stars of the show.
"These great old tractors have endeared themselves to hundreds of thousands of people across the world," he said.
The muster doesn't officially begin until Saturday lunchtime, but for those in town on Friday there will be a parade from 10am, before an old-time picture show that night.
Because the old-time movie was so popular last time, people who miss the Friday night screening can always catch a matinee session on Saturday or another session that night.
Festivities will start to reach a crescendo on Saturday morning with a procession down to the riverbank featuring contestants for the title of Miss Fergie, before the official Muster
opening.
But the thing people come from all around to see are the tractor demos on Saturday afternoon, which really makes the event for Grey Fergie enthusiast Lee Martin.
"You walk away with a smile on your face after the weekend [of the Muster]," he said.
For those who like a slower pace, Saturday's drawcards will be the many stalls – including arts and crafts – and for steam enthusiasts a static machine
display.
And for those who like to bounce the day away there's always the jumping castle, sure to be a hit with the younger Muster participants.
