The sun is shining and the showground is looking great ahead of the Milton Show on Friday March 4 and Saturday March 5. (Scroll right to the bottom for video interviews).
The display pavilion will be overflowing this year, with hundreds of entries piling through the door on Thursday morning.
More than 150 people are working hard behind the scenes, labelling entries, displaying cakes and veges, hanging artwork and arranging flowers in the pavilion.
Show Society president Roy Johnston said the pavilion was buzzing as people delivered entries and stewards set them up in preparation for judging.
There’s a good haul of vegetables and flowers as well as jams, cakes and crafty items this year.
Roy has entered some onions and eggplants from his garden and said a large pumpkin weighing 200 kliograms, grown by a local farmer, would be a special feature.
“It’s looking really good and everyone is busy getting everything ready for judging,” he said.
“We hope people will come and look at the displays when the pavilion doors open at 9am on Friday and Saturday.”
Cake baker and steward Amanda Kissane was busy setting up the cake displays on Thursday morning and said a huge number of entries was proving difficult for officials.
“We’re having trouble fitting them all in,” she laughed.
“It’s a great year, with heaps of entries in all baking categories”.
Amanda offered her baking tips, saying people need to take the time to follow the recipe exactly and have their oven and the right temperature to ensure a moist cake that will catch the judge’s eye and taste buds.
Max Atkins has 27 entries in the rose category and hopes to secure a few awards this year.
Margaret Ryan and her team of ladies spent the morning preparing the knitted items for judging before they will be hung in the pavilion display.
She said knitting was making a come back and was a type of meditation for many people who enjoyed to sit in peace and quiet and work on their pieces.
A huge range of items will go before the judges from traditional tea cosies and toys to hand-spun silk garments.
The pavilion walls are covered in works by local children and school classes, including posters, paintings and there’s even a Lego display.
Items will be judged throughout the day, with judges, stewards and show society members provided lunch in a marquee that has been set up outside the pavilion by Alicia Campisi and Shirley Coleman.
Horse chief Steward Milea Woods said the arena was looking the best she has seen it for many years and she is expecting entries on the many horse events from all around the region.
“We’ve got a lot on and the ground are looking great,” she said.
“The weather is perfect, so we hope people will come along for the show jumping, sporting and many other events,” she said.
“We have just had it confirmed that 22 bullriders will be arriving for the rodeo, which should be loads of fun.”
See the video link below for behind the scenes interviews with Roy Johnston, Milea Woods, Amanda Kissane and Margaret Ryan.
Program and more show stories here:
