The annual Hawkesbury Show, “Where the Country Meets the City”, celebrated its 137th show as Sophie Poredos explored what the show had to offer.
The humble origins of the Hawkesbury Show in 1845 at Clarendon marked its establishment as an Agricultural Show. With crowd popularity, it eventually formed as the Hawkesbury District Agricultural Association in 1879. Ever since then, the Hawkesbury Show has been hailed as a family favourite and has been put on almost every year. 
However, the Hawkesbury Show in 2024 conjures images of chip-on-a-stick, decadent show bags and elaborate face painting. I attended the opening Friday evening on the 19th of April and was incredibly inspired by the young exhibitors in the main arena including the Hot Wheels Stunt Team and the show jumping competitors.
Pursuing the rows of beautiful market stalls, there was something for everyone; from candles, honey and surprisingly, a computer-read tarot experience. Even the showbag warehouse seemed to draw an endless crowd, with crowd favourites such as Bertie Beetle making their appearance.
But perhaps the most unique and overlooked experience isn’t the daring roller coasters that made you sick simply by staring at them – but the sense of community that the Hawkesbury Show seems to ignite.
As NSW’s biggest regional agricultural show, I spoke to some of the craft stalls within the Hawkesbury Pavilion to understand the role of the community within exciting events like these. With their products out for display, the community was invited to share in their various crafting endeavours.
Concluding the evening with a fantastic set of fireworks next to the adorable pony rides, the Hawkesbury Show was a jam-packed event of animals, people, and community. Next year might be the time when I finally upgrade from the Ferris Wheel to a rollercoaster! 
