Lincolnshire Steam Fair 2024 will not happen due to rising costs

2023 was the final year of the Lincolnshire Steam and Vintage Rally

The Lincolnshire Steam and Vintage Rally has been cancelled after running for 38 years at Lincolnshire Showground.

Committee members said they had made the decision after "running at a loss for the past two years".

Organisers of the annual event faced increased prices including on insurance and road signs.

The event took place every August with around 1,500 steam and vintage-vehicle exhibits.

Lincolnshire Steam and Vintage Rally announced it had permanently cancelled the event on its Facebook page on 20 February.

In the post, the charity thanks "each and every" person for their support and said it had been "a very hard decision".

'Got out of control'

Glyn Macdonald, chairman of the rally, said the charity's money will be distributed among charities to be nominated by the committee.

He said they had started to bleed financially after Covid-19 with fewer attendees and runaway cost increases.

"It's just getting out of control. Plus the committee has got old," he said. "I will be 76 in June and, to be candid, we want our lives back."

Mr Macdonald also said the rally had been a "massive event" with people visiting from all over.

The first rally took place in 1986 with 250 exhibits at Lincolnshire Showground.