It’s show time!

AT long last the Bendigo Show is here!

After an unplanned hiatus due to COVID and last spring’s floods the show is back on for the first time in 1462 days.

Organisers of the show have been working hard, with one eye on the weather, to make sure this show delivers on all fronts.

“We’ve actually increased our level of attractions this year,” said Show Society executive officer Ian Furze.

While Mr Furze said he prefers to watch the rides than to participate, this year the show is hosting some of the best new rides in the country.

“It’s always great to hear the screams, you know they’re having a good time,” he said.

In addition to the carnival section of rides and show bags, visitors can take part in a range of other activities and attractions.

“We’ve also got reptile attractions, we’re doing our reptile farm again,” he said.

“We’re going to have whip cracking, we’re going have live bands on the Saturday evening, we’re going to run the young farmers challenge on the Friday evening.”

Live music will run from 10am to 5pm on Saturday on the entertainment stage and will include performances from local high schools as well as Louise McGregor, Steve Laverty, and the Marist Brass Band.

Bendigo’s own Equalizer will help close out the show on the main stage on Saturday night from 6.15 to 8.30pm, with a brief intermission at 7.15 for a whip cracking performance.

Free entry is on offer this year for kids under 16 years of age, and the Show Society has put together a whole new pavilion just for them.

The kids’ zone will be open from 9am to 9pm both days of the show and is completely free to access.

“We’ll have the animal nursery, face painting, box building, we’ll have sandpits, we’ll have colouring, we’ll have all sorts of activities for children to do,” Mr Furze said.

For an activity that the whole family can participate in, the interactive Lego mosaic will be on in the Lego pavilion on Friday and Saturday from 9am to 9pm.

Participants can make a Lego tile to add to the Bendigo Lego User Group’s huge Lego mosaic designed especially for the show.

The Bendigo Show is open from 9am to 9pm today 27 October and tomorrow 28 October.