Medieval flavour added to annual show

The annual A&P Show is back for its 121st year in Tauranga.

Six-thousand people attended Tauranga's annual A&P show last year and organisers are hoping to get more people through the gates of Tauranga Racecourse this weekend, with a new lifestyle centre and a medieval show on offer.

The show, in its 121st year, celebrates everything farming and rural living has to offer from wood chopping and sheep shearing competitions to the Bay of Plenty's strongest man.

Event organiser Sue McDonald said all the usual events would take place at the show including equestrian, western riding, cattle and home industries.

A Medieval Faire would also be a part of the show this year, she said.

"They set up a medieval camp, medieval activities and crafts and they are running a squire and princess school. They will also do combat demonstrations where they dress up in full armour with swords, people love watching that," she said.

Mrs McDonald said this year the show would also offer a lifestyle centre.

"A whole lot of services and industries which would be relevant to lifestyle block-holders. We are devoting a whole separate area of the show to that. They can come along and find out all they will need to know to operate their block efficiently."

Mrs McDonald said the event was a fun family day out.

"We aim to have something of interest to all of the family - things for kids, things for Mum and things for Dad to try and keep them all engaged."

There were interactive activities to keep people entertained as well, she said.

"They can get in the pens with the alpaca, pet and touch them and walk around them."

The draw card to the show was the variety that it offered to those that attended, she said.

"People who come from town want to be entertained for the day. They want to do something different than their normal day, what they do day-to-day."

There would be 60 to 70 trade sites including a vintage tractor display, cars, tractors, outdoor furniture, artists, craft stalls with the 30 sites for the lifestyle centre part of the show, she said.