Our local show gets a visit from me.

That sounds pretty exciting. I love seeing the different festivals around the world where there is lots of music and dancing and where the people wear traditional costumes. It's so wonderful to watch and shows the rich diversity in all our cultures.

That is so true!

Our show is tiny compared to yours. This one compares favourably to the one I went to last year at the next biggest town except that they had goats (as well as a lot of other animals). The goats were just like my own goat Pickles. Our shows, like yours are very important to the people on the land, but they never miss an opportunity to stop work and have a yarn or meeting up with people at the shops. They seem to me to spend a lot of time standing around gossiping and yakking and swapping notes.

Hi MsTickle, Thank you so much for the best response. I really appreciate it. Huggles. Ellie :D

O gal! You're makin' me hungry!

I was very good and ate nothing there. But I was certainly drooling at the thought of chicken kebabs with hommous and tabouleh and syrupy sweet Dutch pancakes. Thanks for joining in...

It appears to me that much of rural Australia is in economic decline. Whether it's a temporary, or even a generational, thing, or something more permanent remains to be seen. The current drought certainly seems to have had a profound impact across the board. And I think the culture of self-indulgence, where most people seem to have delusions of wealth and opulence without having to hardly do anything, is having consequences. So it would be nice to see the spirit of merriment and community participation return to the annual country fairs like they used to be. But that will likely have to wait until the climate gets a bit nicer, or people figure out how to work with what we've got. And I reckon we also need a general return to simpler, more sensible values of doing rather than just being. Of actually producing something, rather than just consuming. That's the energy that I can remember at the country shows - productive communities putting their vibrance and bounty on display for everyone to enjoy. No-one was overtly wealthy or well-off, but everyone was able to appreciate and experience what the local and surrounding communities have produced - namely, stuff that we need to live and eat, not a bunch of gadgets and useless ding-dongs pumped out of factories in some far-off land. As well as meeting the local characters and getting their perspectives on things. In many respects, a being able to enjoy a good country show was a metaphor for really living and enjoying life. As for Tam-bloody-worth, I love the place. I love it so much, I'd like to die there (except I can't, because I've always known that I'll die alone - probably in a cave on Mars - but even then, I'll be thinking of Tam-bloody-worth).

Insurance companies had a huge impact on the demise of small country events. Public Risk Liability made sure that premiums were so high that it was impossible to run the most basic of events that were loved by many in rural areas. There was no possibility of subsidies by rural councils either as they too don't have much scope for the costs. So thank you to all those who have sued for not watching where they walk!

yes a big fair I have heard we havent gone yets for the town is like 40 miles away that has the fair grounds. And I really ant to go one year maybe I can get teh kids to go this year. then I will find out what is there. Nice flowers

Does it have a big fair in the fall? Is it an agricultural centre or more citified. I don't join in anything but I love to just look at things. This photo is of some Australian native flowers called Grevillea. The little red one at the bottom right of centre is a bottle-brush or Banksia.

How many littlies do you have New? I'm also born and raised in a city, Sydney actually. The city is wasted on me...give me a paddock full of cows anytime. I love living in the country. I live on the plains in nth west NSW, where are you? I love all the agricultural exhibits and the animals. I'll buy a decent show bag if I find one just for the heck of it. I worked at the EKKA selling showbags in 1999 and there were some amazing showbags. Where I am now there are just a few crappy showbags not worth the money.

We almost have 5 under the age of 6! lol. #5 is getting ready for her grand entrance! We are in Gympie, QLD, and I 've only made it to the show here once in 5 years! lol. Ah well, country life is better than the rat race city!

I love flea markets too. I find though that they don't have the same atmosphere as a big fair or show. However if it's a big flea market like the ones in Brisbane there is plenty of atmosphere there. It's one of the reasons I would go.

When I was little I saw a movie called State Fair that was about the Texas State Fair. I loved that movie. We used to go every year to the Royal Easter show in Sydney when I was growing up. It's where we lived. It's a huge affair with everything on a massive scale. If you get to show your doings at the Royal, you are special. There was a massive horticultural display with all types of flowers...and of course anything that won a champion ribbon for it's section was absolutely splendid....the best of the best. There was so much to see and do ...it really couldn't be done in a day. There was side show alley where you got to go on crazy rides and ghost trains and mirror mazes etc, lots of displays of everything imaginable from homes to cars to fire engines to ant farms. The show goes for 10 days over the Easter period. Now that I'm much older, these smaller shows are more my speed but I'll never forget the big ones...there was so much to learn from them.

Movie, huh? Well, if I ever have the opportunity I'll hav'ta watch it. I've always been a city gal, when I rode I'd sometimes go to a horse show, different cup'o tea than a rodeo. Fairs have always been kind of - you are a 4H member, you go to fairs, if not - why go?

Ours have all different shows mixed in together. They were doing gymkhana and other horse riding events while I was there the other day. There were also going to be other displays a ute muster, ride on lawn mower races, a motor bike stunt rider and fireworks. Apparently there were sheep and wool shows as well but I didn't get to see them. I just saw where the fleece had been judged. I hope you can get to it soon Morag. I think it's a great family day out.

Oh yes...there are always plenty of committee members to go round. Nothing would happen if these good people didn't do their thing.

It was good fun. I'm glad it was only small because I went round and looked at what there was a few times and I became very tired all of a sudden. I was not impressed when I got back to the car to find I'd left my keys locked inside the car....lol.