The Shyuha Festival, an automobile event that celebrates cars is gearing for a return. The event, now in its third edition, is slated for July 27, at Kigali’s Amahoro Stadium.

The festival features both vintage and modern cars, drifting, manufacturer consultations and entertainment.

There’s also a play area for children, making it a family friendly event.

This year’s edition has attracted sponsorship from Toyota, Volkswagen and Akagera Business Group.

It is also seeking partnerships with media organisations and car enthusiasts according to Paul Bakuru, one of the festival’s organisers.

There have been 10 entries from Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Uganda, and over 80 entries from Rwanda.

In an effort to grow the event across borders, last year Shyuha Festival partnered with Uganda’s Vintage and Classic Auto show, which has been around for the past eight years.

This year’s edition will feature new activities like car beauty contest, race and revving, engine and interior inspection and tag of war.

“We will feature car enthusiasts from South Africa, who will share their knowledge about car modifications and maintenance,” said Mr Bakuru.

Previous events have featured vintage car models like the 1975 Peugeot 504 Coupe, 1975 Peugeot 504 Sport, 1987 Cadillac Fleetwood, 1982 Toyota Land Cruiser, 1989 Chevrolet, the 1968 Buick Riviera, 1976 Volkswagen Beetle; the 1998 BMW Z3, 2004 BMW 525 and 2008 Land Rover Range R.

“We are working on making the event all-inclusive in order to involve more vehicle models,” said Mr Bakuru.

According to organisers, the festival plans to partner with more car companies and dealers to give this event another facelift, “We are hoping to incorporate companies like Volkswagen, Mercedes Benz, Toyota among others because they have a rich car history and will boost the festival’s culture,” said Mr Bakuru.