From medieval combat to shearing, it’s showtime!

Rural agricultural shows have never gone out of style. Many were established in the 1800s and are still going strong. Committees have upped their entertainment game and are attracting bigger numbers of sponsors and showgoers. There are now more than 500 rural agricultural shows held in Australia annually, with some of the best small shows held here in the Illawarra.

Synchronise diaries for these five local shows coming up.

January

• Albion Park Show – Saturday, 20 January. Albion Park Showground, Tongarra Rd, Albion Park. President Michael Arthur says this year’s show will be better than ever. Enjoy an exciting new event – the ‘Knights of Albion’, a combat competition with medieval appeal. Contestants dressed in armour, wielding swords and shields will be pitted against each other.
• Kiama Show – Friday 26^th and Saturday 27^th January. Kiama Pavilion and Showground, Bong Bong St, Kiama. Set against a stunning ocean background, the Kiama Show is heralded as “the show with a view". Look out for the exciting ‘Farm Fit Challenge’ on Saturday afternoon. It’s an obstacle race where teams compete against each other in farm-based challenges such as milk can carrying, feed bag moves, rolling bales, tyre tractor flipping, gumboot throw and bale scaling to ring the bell of victory!

February

• Berry Show – Friday 2^nd and Saturday 3^rd February. Berry Showground, Alexandra St, Berry. Expect a spectacular rural event showcasing ‘Country Berry’. Top picks include rural events that really highlight the country show ethos such as the rodeo and bucking bull exhibit, the bullock team, the draught horses, doggy limbo and high jump, milking demonstrations, sheep shearing and woodchop.
• Nowra Show – Friday 9^th and Saturday 10^th February. Nowra Showground, West St, Nowra. The Nowra show is celebrating a milestone this year – 150 years! New is “Timber through the Ages’ – an historical showcase of the region’s timber industry. Third and fourth-generation timber men will be demonstrating how their ancestors worked with the axe and bullock, followed by a modern industry display of chainsaws, Blitz trucks and mechanical harvesters.

March

• Moss Vale Show – Friday 8th^th, Saturday 9^th and Sunday 10^th March.  Moss Vale Showground, Illawarra Highway, Moss Vale. After quite a few years hiatus, the Rodeo is back! It’s the main event on Friday night with riders competing in six events including the “open bull ride.’ Of course, you can also enjoy all of the traditional events and the country fare in the pavilion. Don’t forget to take home a yummy showbag.