This year's Armidale and New England Show will be launched when the gates open at 7am on Friday morning, and, as far as show society media officer Briony Looker is concerned, everyone should be there to rush through the gates because there is so much to see and do this year.
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Briony thought this year's event was probably one of the best planned in the 144 year history of the show.
We're hoping this show will be bigger than the last few.
- Briony Looker
"We've got heaps of entertainment, heaps of things in store. Two nights in fireworks, so that's going to be a big attraction for us this year," she said.
"We've also got the Rooftop Express premiering here in Armidale this year, our Demo Derby on Friday night, livestock sections, poultry, horse ring events, show jumping as well as everything in the pavilion.
"We moved to online [pavilion] entries this year and as of two days ago, when I last checked, we had about 200 entries across the 15 sections. By Thursday morning we will have a better idea of how that's all sitting."
Briony said she was looking forward to seeing it all come together.
"Our community has done it pretty tough in the last two years with the drought. So, we're hoping that we can give the people in the community a bit of respite and to come out for a night at the show to just enjoy themselves," she said.
"The drought has affected the stud sheep section and we're not able to run that this year because we don't have the numbers or the interest. Probably our wool section has suffered a little this year. Well, probably not suffered because the wool price is so high not as many have been hanging onto their fleeces, which is good.
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She said there would be a lot of traders at this year's show, and many different varieties of food, including the Smith's Pies truck with a bakery built into it.
Luke Hennessy is from a fourth generation show business family and the president of the Showman's Guild, which supplies the amusement rides for the country shows in this area. He said this year there was no more room in the Armidale Showground for any more amusement rides.
"This year the thrill seekers of Armidale will be like kids in a candy store," he said.
"We've got two rides that have never been to the Armidale Show before. First of all we've got the Sky Flyer that stands 100 feet tall. It is a "chairoplane" that is on a huge tower, you'll be able to see the whole town from the top and it's also a great thrill as well.
"The second one is the Kamikaze. It spins at high speed 66 feet above the ground and rotates 360 degrees over the top."
Luke said his family started out in the business in Glen Innes in 1946.
Entry prices remain unchanged from previous years with single person entry costing $10 and a weekend family passes for two adults and three children are available for $50.