This year marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Old-timer Vehicles Association Kamnik (DSVK). To honor this anniversary, the association once again presented itself to the wider public after more than two years, this time with an exhibition of old-timer vehicles owned by its members.
On the last Sunday of August, under a chilly but sunny morning sky, members brought 35 old-timer cars and 6 old-timer motorcycles to Arboretum Volčji Potok, which once again graciously provided space for the exhibition.
This time, we were positioned on the lawns right by the park entrance, and the Indonesian Pavilion was assigned for the official part of the event.
Visitors began viewing the vehicles even before we finished setting them up and adding informational signs. A beautiful sunny day promised a high turnout — and so it was.
The official opening ceremony began at 11 a.m., with speeches by the Director of Arboretum Volčji Potok, Mr. Aleš Ocepek; the Mayor of Kamnik, Mr. Matej Slapar; the Director of the Kamnik Institute for Tourism and Sports, Mr. Rok Jarc; the President of the Association, Mr. Miroslav Vrhovnik; and the President of the Federation of Old-timer Vehicles of Slovenia, Mr. Janko Uratnik.
In their speeches, they welcomed all participants and, each from their own perspective, highlighted twenty years of the association’s activity and its contribution to preserving technical culture in Slovenia and enriching the tourism offer of the Municipality of Kamnik.
Following the official opening, awards were presented to mark the anniversary, with the President of the Association receiving recognition from both the Municipality of Kamnik and the Federation of Old-timer Vehicles of Slovenia for his work over the past twenty years.
The presentation of the exhibited vehicles to visitors continued afterward, and from time to time, we even drove a few children around the park in one of the old-timers, bringing smiles to their faces and those of their parents.
Although twenty years may not seem like a particularly long time compared to the age of the vehicles on display, the association has accomplished a great deal during this period in preserving technical culture.
Most importantly, we still have plenty of energy and ideas, and in more predictable times, we plan to once again organize international old-timer exhibitions. Arboretum Volčji Potok and the Municipality of Kamnik have both pledged their support for these future events.
Arboretum Exhibition 2021 (Photo: Janez Kukec Mezek)
