March 2, 2016
This year’s Proston Show is shaping up to be even bigger and better than last year’s outing, thanks to a good season and strong cattle prices.
The 58th annual Show will be held at the Proston Showgrounds on the Proston-Boondooma Road on Saturday (March 5).
In addition to all the regular competitions, this year’s Show will have a special emphasis on family fun.
Children can enjoy rides on dodgem cars, a slide and jumping castle, and Willie the Worm.
There’ll also be a face painting stall and the perennially popular Viv’s Animal Farm, and the Proston Library will be mounting a pop-up library in the grounds.
There’ll be a champion dog show as well as a pet parade.
Adults can inspect the trade stalls and pavilion displays, or watch the hotly contested stud cattle judging which will take place at 8:30am, followed by prime trade cattle and poultry judging at 9:00am.
There’ll be show jumping in the main ring at 9:00am, followed by wood-chopping and post-ripping competitions at 9:30am.
Ute muster judging will take place at 10:00am, and the presentation of the Prime Trade Show Awards at 11:00am.
The afternoon and evening entertainment line-up will kick off at noon with the Proston Stockman’s Classic, which will continue until the official opening and showgirl presentation at 1:30pm, followed by the Grand Parade at 2:00pm.
Whip-crackers will take centre stage at 4:00pm and they will be followed by a Young Farmer’s Challenge at 5:00pm, then more whip-cracking and a Calcutta for the post ripping championship final at 6:00pm.
After this, popular local group The Stepping Stones will fire up the evening’s musical entertainment at 6:30pm.
The Show’s traditional giant fireworks display will light up the skies around 7:00pm, and the bar and canteen will continue operating until 10:00pm.
Admission to this year’s Show is $10 for adults, $5 for high school students and $3 for primary school students (under-5s are admitted free). A family pass for two adults and any number of children is also available for $25.
Gates will open at 6:00am and events will run through until 10:00pm.
Show schedules are available in hard copy or can be obtained online.
More details can be obtained by contacting Show Society secretary Glenda McArdle on 0423-612-971, Show Society present Helen Young on (07) 4168-9297; or the Proston PA&H Society (at the grounds on Show day) on 0428-689-329.
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This year’s Proston Show theme is “hearts”, and on Saturday morning the Proston Show Society held a promotional Queen Of Hearts Morning Tea at the old railway station in Railway Park to remind everyone that Show day was just a week away.
Children from Proston State School wore special masks they’d created for the event to win one of two prizes set aside for under-14s, and adults were encouraged to dress to the theme as well with a special third prize for the best adult headwear.
For a gold coin donation, guests got to enjoy tea, coffee, biscuits and cake, as well as mingling and conversation.
