2019 has been a long, hard year for many in the Uralla district, but organisers hope the Show this Saturday will put a smile on local faces. And entry is free for under-14s.
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Horse events begin the day at 7.45am. It continues with agricultural produce and art in the pavilion, home brew judging, pets and poultry - and, for the first time, cow sorting (on Sunday as well).
The evening ends with a horse barrel race, celebrity auto soccer, a vintage car parade, fireworks, and a demolition derby.
"A lot of people in the communities are struggling with hardship in these drought times," Uralla District Show Society president Wesley Styles said.
The Show, he continued, was a chance for farmers to enjoy themselves, spend time with their family, see old mates they haven't seen in a year, and laugh at the crazy antics of the demolition derby.
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Wezz and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall will open the show at 2pm. The state government has given the show society a $5000 grant to help with running costs, Mr Marshall announced this week.
That money will pay for under-14-year-olds to enter for free, rather than paying $6. Adult entry is $12.
"My plan is to get as many young people off the streets and through the gate as possible," Wezz said. "A lot of people send their kids, but the parents won't come. I hope that because the under-14s get in for free, the parents will attend, too."
Mr Marshall encouraged the public to come to the show.
"It's been a really tough 12 months or so for Uralla, like so many communities in our electorate. The show is a great opportunity for the whole community to come together to have a good time, and forget about some of the troubles confronting the region at the moment."
The show society will also run a free barbecue, thanks to a grant from the Uralla community. It's a good bargain: entry to the showgrounds costs $12, but includes a $10 meal for free. Choice of Scotch fillet or a sausage sandwich, with your choice of drink.
The public can also enter their fruit and veg, preserves and condiments, constructions, needlework and handicrafts, flowers, knitting and crochet, and fine arts in the pavilion. Special sections this year for children and for people with disabilities.
The committee has doubled the first prize money from $2 to $4 as an incentive, particularly for youngsters. "If they've got five or six winning places for a photograph or a Lego sculpture, they're making a bit of money for themselves," Wezz said.
This is Wezz's first year as president. "I love giving back to the community as much as I can," he said.
Former president Bill Upjohn nominated him at the annual general meeting last year, staying on as vice-president to advise him.
The show has bounced back from 2018, when it was cancelled. Wezz is keen to grow the show. Next year, for instance, he plans to bring livestock back onto the showgrounds.
"We're trying to improve the show in leaps and bounds: bringing back attractions that get more people involved," Wezz said.
One of the joys of Wezz's time as show president so far, he said, has been working with people like Mr Marshall. "Uralla Council have been bloody wonderful; the new board of the Uralla Showground Land Manager have gone above and beyond to help."
He particularly appreciated donations of water, since the town supply is contaminated with arsenic. Council donated water; so did the Burrumbuttock Hay Runners: 30 pallets worth.
"The committee's worked really hard this year to get the show off the ground," Mr Marshall said. "It will be wonderful to see the community support that effort, but also come out and really support each other at the moment."
For more information, visit http://www.urallashow.org.au/