Ag show to switch dates next year

NEXT weekend’s Bellarine Agricultural Show will be the final time the Portarlington-based event will be held over the Labour Day weekend, according to the committee’s vice-president.

Janet McDonald confirmed from 2025 onwards, the annual show will be held the weekend following Labour Day in a bid to get more local traders to attend the annual event.

“We view it as a double-edged sword, because a lot of local people leave the region for the Labour Day weekend and that means a lot of our agricultural traders do too,” she said.

“You get the tourists on the long weekend and we’re in competition with a lot of other things on the peninsula at that time, so that’s what is factored into the committee’s decision.

“In summary, we’re deciding to help our volunteers, traders, and stall holders by moving it to the following weekend.”

The future change has not dampened the spirits of the committee heading into next Sunday’s show on March 10 with 3,500 people expected to again pass through the gates for the 32nd edition of the show.

This year’s theme, “wool”, will pay homage to the region’s wool-making history with an exciting new partnership with Geelong’s National Wool Museum jumping on as a major sponsor for this year.

“The National Wool Museum partnership makes complete sense for this year’s show,” Ms McDonald said.

“Wool has long been a major enterprise on the Bellarine, and we still do have a few sheep farmers here in the region, so we’re always encouraged to what we can to bring that history to light.

“We’re hoping we can also have a pop-up wool museum at the show this year as well which would be great.”

Next Sunday’s show will involve many of the show’s classic features such as machinery demonstrations, livestock pens featuring cows, cattle, sheep and chickens, garden stalls, and arts and craft for children.

Tickets can be bought ahead of arrival with adults spending $12.50, children aged between six and 16 years old paying $5, and children aged five and under permitted free entry.

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