Originally published May 16, 2020
BILLED as Sunraysia’s greatest annual event, this year’s Mildura Show has been cancelled, with organisers saying coronavirus restrictions would have made the popular October event “unworkable”.
The 2020 event would have been the 73rd Mildura Show, which has been a staple of the Sunraysia community since 1947.
Mildura Show Society president Hellyn Parker said while the decision to cancel the event had not been taken lightly, it had been made in the best interests of the community.
“We’re trying to stay safe so this pandemic is nipped in the bud and stops this year, so that 2021 is not like 2020,” she said.
“We can move forward into 2021 with high hopes of being healthy, safe, and we can get back to having a good show.”
The decision was made in consultation with the show committee, following last week’s unveiling of a roadmap out of coronavirus restrictions by the federal and state governments.
Under projected social distancing restrictions, public gatherings would not be allowed to exceed 100 people by October, far short of the Mildura Show’s usual crowd size.
“We can’t get 20,000 or 30,000 people through the show gates (under those restrictions),” Mrs Parker said.
“It would be logistically impossible to do even the slightest bit of social distancing and follow rules”
The announcement followed a decision by the Wentworth Show’s organising committee “with sadness” that it was forced to cancel its 2020 show that was to be held on August 29 and 30.
The committee said the many exhibitors and competitors who spent months preparing for the show needed more certainty than could be offered under the current circumstances
“With all this in mind it was important to make this decision now,” the committee said in a statement.
In the society’s 135-year history, the show has been cancelled only during World War I, World War II and the 1956 Murray-Darling floods.
The show society said it would be in contact with all stakeholders to finalise cancellation details over coming weeks.
