Think a day at the Show has to be expensive? Take a closer look

From an animal nursery and reptile display to roving magicians, live music, working dogs, sheep penning and an 8pm fireworks finale, families heading to this year’s Young Show may be surprised by just how much is included in the gate price. With household budgets under pressure, a family day out can quickly become expensive. But organisers of the 152nd Young Show are reminding families that once they are through the gate on Sunday, September 20, there is plenty to see and do without having to keep reaching for their wallets. Family admission is $40 for up to two adults, with single entry $15, pensioners $10 and children $5. Gates open at 9am, with the day finishing under the night sky with fireworks at 8pm. And while rides, sideshow games, food and trade stalls will be there for those who want them, they are far from the only reason to spend the day at the Show. This year’s entertainment included in admission features an animal nursery, roving magicians, a reptile display, face painting, children’s activities, local musical talent and the evening fireworks. New for 2026 is Memphis Moovers, offering take-home craft and other activities for children, along with a toy swap and play area featuring sandpits and blackboards. Also making its debut this year is Sheep Penning, a fast-moving team event in the main arena. Teams of three have three minutes to separate nominated sheep from the mob and guide them into a pen, combining stock handling skills, teamwork and more than a little patience. The competition will run from 11am to 4pm, giving families plenty of opportunity to stop and watch throughout the afternoon. It will share the family viewing area with another traditional crowd favourite, the Young Show Yard Dog Trial Championship, where working dogs and their handlers will compete across Open Championship, Improver, Novice and Maiden classes. And families do not have to buy lunch at the Show to enjoy the day. Organisers say visitors are welcome to pack their own food, bring a picnic and settle into the family area in the arena while watching the Yard Dog Trials and Sheep Penning. For those who do want to buy lunch or a treat, there will be show food and local trade stalls, while Rotary and CWA will be running the kitchen in the pavilion. The Hilltops bar will also return for 2026. #Plenty happening beyond the rides The Show program stretches well beyond the sideshow area. The vintage tractor pull gets underway from 9am, bringing together tractors more than 30 years old across a range of horsepower classes. The schedule specifically notes that while normal Show admission applies at the front gate, there is no additional spectator fee for the tractor pull. Cattle judging begins at 10am, with classes for bulls, heifers and cows as well as junior judging and paraders. The Prime Lamb Hoof and Hook competition will add another strong agricultural element, with hoof judging from 11am and more than $2000 in prizes on offer. Motoring enthusiasts have not been forgotten either. The Heritage Car Club of Young car show, Black Dog Ride bike show and truck show will run throughout the day, with presentations at 2pm before the vehicles join the Grand Parade at 3pm. Inside the Donges IGA Main Pavilion, visitors can wander through displays that remain at the heart of the traditional country show. Cooking, jams and preserves, produce, agricultural produce, wool fleeces, photography, handicrafts, horticulture, fine art, porcelain, industrial art, school displays and Lego are among the many sections represented in this year’s schedule. There is plenty for younger exhibitors too, with junior cooking, photography, produce, handicrafts, horticulture and other competitions giving children a chance to put something of their own on display. Junior Show Day competitions are also free to enter and include Show Bubs, Tiny Tot Boy and Girl, Master Show Boy and Miss Belle, and Master Stockman and Miss Junior Showgirl. Entries will be taken between 10am and noon before judging on the Main Stage following the official opening. #Keeping the family ticket within reach Young Show organisers say keeping admission affordable remains front of mind for the committee. The family ticket increased from $30 to $40 last year, but only after remaining unchanged for more than a decade. The rise, organisers said, became necessary as the cost of staging the Show continued to increase. The committee is now hoping community support will allow it to hold the family ticket at $40 for many years to come. That support also comes from the large network of local businesses, organisations, families and individuals backing the Show through sponsorship and volunteering. This year’s schedule lists SWSbank as major sponsor alongside more than 100 Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and prize sponsors supporting different parts of the event. For families deciding how much they can afford to spend once inside the grounds, however, the message from organisers is simple: the rides and show food are optional. A family can arrive with a picnic, visit the animal nursery and reptile display, watch the magicians, have faces painted, take part in children’s activities, listen to local performers, wander through the pavilion, watch working dogs and sheep penning, see the vintage tractors and vehicle displays, catch the Grand Parade and stay through until the fireworks — all within the price of admission. #Fireworks to finish the day The Show will finish with its fireworks display at 8pm. Organisers are also asking local residents to remember their animals before the first firework goes off. Pets should be safely secured well before 8pm, with gates and yards checked and animals kept somewhere they cannot escape if frightened by the noise.