There is something for everyone at this year’s Echuca Moama Agricultural Show at the Campaspe Park Raceway over the weekend of November 11 and 12.
Echuca Moama and District Agricultural Show Society president Allan Mathers noted that this was the 145th Echuca Moama Agricultural Show.
Mr Mathers, who is always up for a chat, ran The Riv through some of the highlights of this year’s full schedule, after organisers ran a smaller show last February.
“We will have monster trucks, dodgem cars, the claw’s coming and two cha-cha rides, the little teacup-and-saucer ride for the children, fireworks on Saturday night and a show favourite, the laughing clowns,” Mr Mathers said.
“There are a lot of things for the whole family in the showman’s guild area (where the rides all are),” he said.
“Once again, we are putting on a lot of free activities that children can participate in, so Mum and Dad don’t always have to fork out money everywhere they go.
“Face painting, animal nursery, pony rides, temporary tattoos, and we also have Professor Wallace’s puppet theatre coming again.
“There are heaps of things children can enter in the pavilion — Marg and Rose Berryman have done a really good job organising again.
“We are hoping to have a really big Lego show.
“We are looking for all children to enter Lego in the different age groups, six and under, seven to 12 years old, 13 to 18 years old and open any age, which, I suppose, that means me.”
The pavilion will host all the cooking, arts and craft competitions, with a highlight being the men-only section, with a recipe for a chocolate cake or packet cake that must have the front attached and not be iced.
“This year, there is a scone competition in memory of Eunice and Keith Heart, Echuca Performance has put up, open to all ages, where you must present four scones per entry,” Mr Mathers said.
“Prize money of $50 will be awarded, along with a certificate and the winner’s name added to the perpetual shield, which we hope to keep going for future shows.”
There will be VAS competitions in cookery, needlework, sewing, photography and fleeces, NDAS competitions in photography, cooking, jams and preserves, handcrafts, a junior chocolate cake un-iced, cookie decorating, a doughnut-eating competition, scarecrow competition, ute show and vintage car and hot rod show and shine, just to name a few things attendees can enter.
On Sunday, there are 12 categories of pets on parade for anyone under 15, open to any living creature that is secure in their owner’s control.
In cattle, there is an Australian Holstein feature show on Saturday and beef cattle on Sunday, with Greenham sponsoring the young handlers and young judges’ competitions to encourage more youngsters to take part.
On both days, a full horse schedule will run, with what looks like strong entries.
All the details of every section that can be entered at this year’s show can be found in the show program.
Mr Mathers is hopeful of attracting plenty of entrants in the baby, tiny tots, show girls and boys and the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria rural ambassador and junior show ambassador competitions.
“We are a small but very conscious group of people, and we have got the schools more involved this year, which is really great,” Mr Mathers said.
“I’d just like to thank all the sponsors and everybody that supports us.
“And a special thank you to Michael Potter, the grounds manager at Campaspe Park, for the maintenance of our showgrounds and how neat and tidy they always are.”
The program can be found on the Echuca Moama and Districts Agricultural Show Society Facebook page, www.facebook.com/EchucaMoamaShowSociety