The logistics of running the February 16 show under the traffic light system and the need for vaccine passes means this year’s show will be staged in a pared-back form.
The pandemic forced the cancellation of last year’s show and Maniototo A&P Association president Margot Hall said the decision was made on January 14 that the only part of the show to go ahead this year would be in the stadium for the horticultural and industrial division categories.
Mrs Hall said while the show was only billed as one day, the entries for the stadium part of the show usually set up on the Monday prior to Wednesday’s show day and horses and trades typically arrived on the Tuesday.
The requirements for vaccine passports and the difficulty in securing the showgrounds, which had seven entry points, had led to the decision to hold just the stadium events where the entrance and exit points could be easily controlled, people could scan in and vaccine passports could be checked.
The cost of that would have been prohibitive, Mrs Hall said.
Last year’s cancellation was due to a move to Alert Level 2 the day before the show was to begin and this year it was hoped the show would make a full comeback, she said.
The stadium show would feature cut flowers, floral art, roses, fruit and vegetables, jams and preserves, brewing, baking, a new Kiwiana section, chocolate, craft-home industry, woollen goods, photography, and school and non-school sections.
It was too early to say what the uptake would be for entries but she hoped the fact the show did not go ahead last year would bring more enthusiasm for its semi-return.
