A pair of perfect spring days greeted around 4000 Wangaratta Show goers over the weekend at the Wangaratta Showgrounds.
The 159th staging of the show once again had something for everyone with the perfect blend of local creativity, thrill-seeking rides and good-old fashioned country spirit on full display.
Beyond the loud sounds of the carnival and its rides, show secretary Charmane Bennett said the show saw a noticeable increase in art exhibition entries this year on the back of a $500 sponsorship from BankWAW.
“We had almost 200 entries over the open, novice and school students, we had to find extra places to hang things,” she said.
Outside of the arts, Ms Bennett said the committee also saw an increase in numbers on their craft competition while cooking entries were about par.
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Poultry and cattle numbers were up on last year while competition entries for knitting, photography and horticulture were slightly down on last year.
Ms Bennett said while Friday afternoon attendance numbers were slightly down on average, due to a concurrent event running at the King George V Gardens, the Rural City of Wangaratta Grit and Resilience Festival, overall attendance numbers were about the same as last year.
On the main stage the horse competition, the popular dog high jump and aerial motorbike stunts by the team from SINCS FMX wowed the crowds on Friday evening prior to the traditional WINSEC fireworks display, which filled up the night sky.
On Saturday it was the farmers’ challenge and various livestock and machinery displays which stole the show.
Ms Bennett said Dinkum Dinosaurs with their dinosaur puppet show, baby dinosaur zoo and dance party was a major hit with the kids throughout the two days.
“They did a very good job for us,” she said.
Ms Bennett sincerely thanked the show’s volunteers and sponsors for once again turning up and making the community event tick.
“That show doesn’t run on love alone, our committee, ladies’ committee and volunteer crew pride ourselves on how well we work as a team,” she said.
“Money is very important to these events and without all of our beautiful, generous sponsors we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”
