THE sun was shining and the crowds were out in force this November 4 and 5, to enjoy the Whittlesea Show, with the popular two day event returning to it November timeslot.
Considered one of the oldest and continuous agricultural societies in Victoria the inaugural show was held in 1869, with the first full weekend in November traditionally the allocated show dates.
However last year's wet weather forced the committee to make the tough decision to postpone the annual show, running the 2022 event in late January of this year, which created the unprecedented situation of two Whittlesea Shows scheduled in 2023, just 10 months apart.
Delivering two shows in one year failed to deter crowds this November with visitors keen to double up on all the fun, a testament to the enduring popularity of this family favourite.
Whittlesea Agricultural Society Show president Erica Hawke said that it was fantastic success with strong visitor numbers through the gates on both the Saturday and the Sunday.
Latest Stories
Ms Hawke attributes the success to the dedicated band of volunteers and a very active committee who work throughout the year to create the annual show.
"Two shows in one year has never been done before, but it was an amazing team effort to pull off both events and the crowd was incredibly supportive," said Ms Hawke.
"We had perfect weather - which as you know- we put the order in for.
"All our volunteers were on-board and everything came together beautifully over the weekend.
"We're really happy with how it turned out."
On the Saturday just over 9500 came through the gates, with crowds swelling to an impressive 13,500 on the Sunday.
"When we have good weather we get really strong numbers through the gate," said Ms Hawke.
"This is probably the highest number we've had in the last ten years."
The January show attracted similar numbers on the Saturday, with around the 11,500 mark on the Sunday, an impressive feat in the heat of a Victorian summer.
"We put on our usual line-up of fantastic horse events and we offered a huge amount of free activities for people to take part in, like the boot throw and the apple peeling competitions," said Ms Hawke
'There was a kids pedal tractor activity which proved popular and heaps of livestock on show with the grand parade a culmination of everything that the Whittlesea Show stands for."
For many local community groups the Whittlesea Show is also their major fundraiser for the year.
After the last few years of restrictions and cancellations, the opportunity to raise funds twice in 2023 was a welcome addition to many of these groups coffers, and with such strong visitation at both events there were smiles on everybody's faces.
