Only one month till Showtime…

Only one month till Showtime…

The countdown is on with just under one month to go till Christchurch comes to life with the sights, smells and celebration of the Royal New Zealand Show.

It's three full days of livestock, entertainment and attractions. All the very best of rural life combined with competitions from gourmet oils to wines, top Kiwi chefs, live music and excellent food and wine... it could only be the Royal New Zealand Show.

The Canterbury A&P Association hosts the 79th Royal New Zealand Show from Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 November with a very full programme.

Over 120,000 people are expected to visit Canterbury Agricultural Park this year to enjoy the Show atmosphere loved by Cantabrians for 147 years.

Livestock numbers have maintained their momentum from previous years with over 6500 entries across horse & pony, beef & dairy cattle, sheep, alpaca, llama, poultry, pigs, dog trials, goat and vintage machinery (entries are still open in wool/fibre, shearing/woolhandling, wine, oil and woodchopping). Dairy cattle, beef cattle, horse, goat and llama entries have all increased this year.

Trade exhibitor numbers are on the increase with over 600 expected, slightly ahead of 2008. Exhibitors will present new ideas, products and services catering for the rural buyer as well as the huge number of city visitors who pass through the gates each year to experience country coming to town.

Programme highlights include:

Live Music
The More FM Main Stage on the Village Green is live music central during the Show. The New Zealand Army Band will be performing live on all three days of the Show. One of the most diverse musical entertainment establishments in the country, the New Zealand Army Band is a traditional brass band that has incorporated into its ranks a complete rhythm section enabling the band to broaden their repertoire to perform modern music.

That’s Topps!
New Zealand’s most loved musical and comic duo, The Topp Twins will be performing on the More FM Main Stage on the Village Green, Thursday and Friday of the Show. Twin sisters with their own primetime TV series and movie, they are truly original entertainers and one of the few kiwi acts which can undoubtedly be called a cultural institution. Their documentary Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls won an audience choice award at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival.

Garden NZ Pavilion
Following on from its successful launch at last year’s Show, the Garden NZ Pavilion will showcase Christchurch’s Garden City image in spring. Highlighting everything in gardening from horticultural displays, exhibits, demonstrations, products and services. Garden NZ will also feature a themed feature garden by Prospect Landscape & Urbanism titled ‘Garden Plains’.

Food, glorious food
The Food & Wine NZ Pavilion is a food lover’s delight with close to 50 specialty exhibitors displaying the very best of local produce, gourmet foods and wines. Top Kiwi chef Annabelle White and leading Canterbury chefs will be on stage at the Fisher & Pakyel Demonstration Kitchen, tantalising the taste buds with a number of dishes. The Food & Wine NZ Pavilion is also the place to view the winning entries in the International Aromatic Wine Competition and New Zealand Gourmet Oil Competition.

Feature Competitions
The battle of the lambs heats up with the winner of the Mint Lamb Competition announced at the President’s Cocktail Party on Thursday evening of the Show. Finalists from throughout the country who rated in the top two of each class for overall yield will be taste tested on the plate to decide which farmer really does produce the country's finest lamb. The Dakins Ambassador of the Year will be announced during the Show on Thursday in the StableMateTM Arena. The award recognises loyalty to the A&P movement and support extended to the Canterbury A&P Association. Last year's winner Jeanette Brown went on to visit the Sydney Royal Easter Show as part of her prize package.

Fun for Everyone
It's a Show favourite and back bigger and better than ever. The City Farmyard is an interactive display that gives children and parents the opportunity to see, touch, hear and learn about farm animals. There will be chicks, lambs, puppies, ducks, goats and calves ready for cuddles and feeding. New to this year is the interactive calf birthing display. Plus don’t forget a visit to the Sheep Maternity Ward to witness lambs being born. Also for the young ones, the Tip Top Family Lawn is kiddie heaven with entertainment geared specifically at a younger audience.

Voltage – teens only
New for 2009 is Voltage, an exciting and interactive zone exclusively for 12-17 year olds. The area allows teens to gain hands on experience in a range of different activities under the guidance of professionals while relaxing and having fun with friends.

Shearing
The shearing competition starts on Thursday with both machine and blade heats with the finals held on Friday. Included in the action is the woolhandling competition. Plus on Wednesday there will be children’s shearing.

Woodchopping
The Woodchopping Arena will be full of adrenaline pumping, heart stopping action with a non stop programme over the three days. World Champs from throughout New Zealand will be competing.

ENDS

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