Clydevale Farming expo gone for good

The Clutha Valley Lions Club has decided not to hold its two-yearly Clydevale Farming Expo any more, with a lack of foot traffic the reason it was cancelled.

Club president Gary Stirling said the event was usually run on the alternate year to the Southern Field Days at Waimumu, and was last held in Clydevale in 2017.

''We decided not to hold it any more because, although we were getting support from exhibitors, there was not the foot traffic,'' Mr Stirling said.

''We got 110 exhibitors and only about 600 people.''

The event was first held in 2011 as a dairy expo, and it attracted about 70 exhibitors.

Mr Stirling said the event had been part of a circuit, which some of the exhibitors followed.

Some had also attended Farmarama in Lawrence, and the Upper Clutha A&P show.

''It was a great fundraiser for us,'' he said.

''However, we decided we should stop as we felt it was not being fair to the exhibitors and we did not attract the crowds we wanted.''

The club also held an export lamb competition and shearing event during the expo.

The expo was a fundraiser for the club, but to make up the difference in money raised, they launched an annual Blue Mountain bike and running event, which was held in March.

Mr Stirling said it was growing in popularity.

In addition to the mountain bike event, club members go tailing to raise money and they also run a winter feed competition.

He said the club's next event will be a community fireworks display at the rugby clubrooms on December 7.

Southern Rural Life