The 160th Wangaratta Show a delight for showgoers

Wangaratta turned out to celebrate 160 years of show tradition at the weekend, with organisers declaring the milestone event a success with an estimated 5800 people coming through the gates on Friday and Saturday. Showgoers reminisced about years gone by while another generation made memories of its own during two days of entertainment, agricultural tradition, competition and community spirit. Despite attendance appearing to be slightly down on last year with a rough count of 2800 people on Friday and 3000 on Saturday, organisers reported increased entries across most pavilions and positive feedback from exhibitors and participants. Wangaratta Show secretary Charmane Bennett said overall the show was a success. "The feedback from those who attended has been very positive, with people enjoying the attractions, entertainment and overall atmosphere," she said. "We were also fortunate to have absolutely picture-perfect weather across both days, which certainly helped create a wonderful environment for families and visitors to enjoy the Wangaratta Show. "Overall, the crowds were well behaved, and it was lovely to see people coming along to celebrate this special milestone with us." For Wangaratta local Lauren Scott the show is an annual family tradition, with her children always making the petting zoo their first stop. Lauren said her mum who was on a pension would save up all year so her family could do everything and anything at the show. “It’s pretty nostalgic to come back each year, and it’s special to be able to give my kids that same experience,” she said. “The highlight for my kids is the petting zoo, and we will watch the fireworks from home tonight.” For local girls, Sadie Cashman (12), Ayla Ali (12), Stella Graham (13) and Atelaite Cokanauto (13) the rides and fireworks are the highlight, with the Cha-cha, No Limit and the Matterhorn cited as favourites. Local volunteer Russell Bennett has been involved with the Wangaratta Show for about 10 years and has attended on and off since childhood, particularly when his own children were young. He has fond memories of attending with his parents and taking home showbags containing Phantom comics. This year he said the wool section was a standout, with one of the largest displays of high-quality fleeces seen in the North East. “A strong season had produced heavy fleeces with impressive colour, lustre, quality and character,” he said. Charmane said it’s a wonderful feeling to have reached this milestone and to see the show continue to bring the community together after 160 years. "The Wangaratta Show is about so much more than just two days of entertainment," she said. "It is a celebration of our agricultural heritage, local talent, community spirit and the many people who work behind the scenes to keep these traditions alive. "Reaching 160 years is a significant achievement, and it is a credit to the generations of volunteers, exhibitors, competitors, sponsors and supporters who have contributed to the show over the years. "It was particularly special to celebrate this anniversary with our community and see so many aspects of the show continuing to thrive." Charmane extended a massive thank you to everyone who contributed to making the 160th show possible, including the dedicated volunteers, committee members, stewards, exhibitors, sponsors, trade exhibitors, entertainers and all those who supported the event. "A show of this size takes months of planning and an enormous amount of work behind the scenes, and it simply would not happen without the commitment and generosity of so many people," she said. "We are incredibly proud of the Wangaratta Show and its place in our community, and we look forward to continuing the tradition for many years to come."

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