Summernats' family-friendly message killing the festival vibe, punters say

Brooke Brosnahan and Daniel West brought their daughter Hailey West, 5, to the festival on Saturday.

"I think it's good for the kids [the family friendly approach]", Ms Brosnahan said.

"Maybe taking it a little bit too far taking away Miss Summernats. I understand they're trying to desexualise it but at the same time that's a Summernats thing."

Ms Brosnahan said she wouldn't be fazed if they kept the competition, but she wouldn't take her kids there or towards 'Tuff Street', a hotbed of Summernats' more anti-social behaviour.

"I think Summernats is going to die if they keep going they way they're going to be honest, I don't think it will be around to make 40."

Entrants this year were required to declare on a form they would not harass other patrons but on Tuff Street, the message hadn't appeared to have landed by Saturday afternoon.

As cars paraded down the drag, one group of men yelled "grey top" at a girl across the track, hoping to prompt her to expose herself. She didn't.

They were also overheard debating which other women to yell at.

After the group of men were photographed, they approached the Canberra Times and asked them to delete the photos.

One of the men said he didn't want people to know he did that.

The small group turned hostile when the Canberra Times refused to comply.

Further down the track another woman was yelled at by a different group but simply walked away.

Elsewhere though, families were still enjoying the day out, sitting in the shade or revelling in the burnout competitions.

Down at the pit, burning rubber fell on the packed stands. One driver loaded an inflatable toy dinosaur onto his ute as his tyres shredded out green and pink smoke.

Others were simply lying in the shade with their friends and family or cooling under water sprinklers.

Sam Tupper, resting at her family's camp site with her sons Jackson, Mitchell and Tyler Haines, said she was fine bringing her kids to the event despite its reputation.

"They know the shit that goes on, they don't care," Ms Tupper said.

"We go cruising. You get your usual dumb arses. They ignore it."

Ms Tupper has been attending Summernats for seven years, with her family normally fielding multiple cars at the event.

Rebecca Campbell, was with her son Vincent Fortuna, and said the children's activities made it better for kids.

"As long as the kids stay with the adults, it should be alright," Ms Campbell said but added her family avoids Summernats after dark.

"A lot of people tend to drink a lot and it just gets a bit out of hand," Ms Campbell said.

"They start fights," Mr Fortuna said.

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