Let the Good Times Roll at the Coca-Cola Easter Show Opening

Press Release
Thursday 28th March, 2013

Let the Good Times Roll at the Coca-Cola Easter Show Opening Today

The Coca-Cola Easter Show bursts back into life today for an Easter weekend packed with more attractions, more animals and more fun than ever in its 168 year history.

While the heritage part of the show, the A&P Show and Farmworld, continues to be a crowd favourite, almost everything else has been completely redesigned, with new rides, new attractions and a long list of entertainers and performers.

Leading the line-up of new attractions this year is the multi-award-winning Hollywood Horrors, brought in from Australia especially for the Coca-Cola Easter Show. Incorporating live actors, animatronics and over 30 special effects, it takes visitors through the scariest scenes from some of the greatest horror films in the genre; from Friday the 13th to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho and The Shining.

ASB Showgrounds CEO Mark Frankham says Hollywood Horrors is the scariest attraction ever to be seen in New Zealand.

“The Hollywood Horrors alongside so many other new and improved features make this year’s Easter Show the best we've held, ever!” he says.

Other new features include a new ghost train making its debut at the show, the less frightening but no less thrilling, six-storey high Resene Rainbow Slide and the Ferris Wheel, which will keep the adrenalin flowing all day.

Five shows per day at the Zirka Circus will also keep visitors on the edge of their seats, while shows by The WotWots and Alvin and the Chipmunks, and an expanded Cookie Bear Kiddieland will keep the little nippers happily entertained.

The watchword for this year’s Coca-Cola Easter Show is entertainment and this is nowhere more evident than at The Cultural Stage. Wall to wall with great entertainment throughout all five days with a vibrant array of performances from Japanese Taiko drummers to Brazilian samba dancers, JGeek and the Geeks, Dee-licious, Jamoa Jam and many more.

Between performances visitors can watch the wacky Canadian Bushwhackers do their lumberjack antics or the New Zealand Strongman Competition entrants undergoing so many extraordinary feats of strength.

Another new feature, Dane Rumble and Titanium are both performing at separately ticketed concerts happening this year at the Logan Campbell Centre on Friday and Saturday nights. They’ll be supported by accomplished singer Massad and indie-tronica duo Jupiter Project in high energy three hour concerts.

Everything is up close and personal in the A&P Show in 2013 and this year organisers are going all out to encourage audience participation.

“We are looking forward to the shear delight as big burly shearers teach toddlers how to share teddy bears with wooden hand-pieces,” says Easter Show Chairman Duncan McNab.

“We’ve also brought the sheep dog trials inside so that everyone is close to the action, to learn and be entertained,” he says.

More than 50 different types of domestic and farm animals will be at the Coca-Cola Easter Show including cows, sheep, ducks, horses, cats, dogs, goats, chickens and even llamas!
“People have been preparing their animals for months for this event making it the biggest A&P Show of its kind in New Zealand,” says McNab.

And why not end each day with a bang? With a stunning fireworks show set to light up the skies over Auckland, Thursday-Sunday night at 9:00pm.

Tickets are available at the gate on Puriri Drive or online at http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2013/coca-cola-easter-show/auckland/epsom.

For more information go to www.eastershow.co.nz.

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The Coca-Cola Easter Show

Thursday March 28th - Monday April 1st, 2013
10am – 10pm Thursday to Sunday
10am – 6pm Monday
ASB Showgrounds
217 Green Lane West
Greenlane
Auckland

About The Coca-Cola Easter Show

The Coca-Cola Easter Show is the largest, most exciting live event in Auckland, with a circus, entertainment, rides and characters and is also home to the A&P Show.

An iconic Auckland event in every sense, the Coca-Cola Easter Show is all about bringing town and country together in New Zealand's largest family event.

The Coca-Cola Easter Show had its beginnings 168 years ago, beginning as a purely agricultural event to help the fledgling colony develop a sound farming economy. The first A&P show was held in 1843. The aims of the event were to demonstrate excellence in agriculture and animal husbandry, and to promote the breeding of stud animals to establish and increase the farm animal gene pool in the emerging colony.

In 1910, the Auckland Showgrounds were established on Greenlane Road with the first show on the new grounds in 1911. This is now known as ASB Showgrounds, which is owned and operated by the Auckland Agricultural Pastoral and Industrial Shows Board.

Since then the Show has gone from strength to strength. Visitor numbers each range between 50,000 and 82,000 people as the show remains an exciting event for all the family.

ENDS

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