The Bega show: 'groing food' and other adventures

Errol and Olive

I've always been a fan of a small rural show. When I was a kid, we went every year to the Albion Park show. Occasionally we went to the Kiama show, but we mostly just went to Albion Park, and picked up ribbons in sections like "dog with the cleanest teeth". It was ace.

"groing food". Love it.

One of the things I love about being in major regional centre like Bega is the abundance of small rural shows. There's shows like Candelo - small and picturesque and pretty much all about the animals and handcrafts. The 'rides' are a small jumping castle and pony rides, and lunch is put on by the show society in the luncheon pavilion. It's been going for 126 years and when you're there, it kind of feels like not a lot has changed, except maybe for the addition of a tractor display. There's also a small hut selling watermelon slices for 50 cents each, and a 'kids korner' with painting and colouring in and potting up little plants and seeds to take home. It's super relaxing and very low key. The slogan for the show is 

"Share what you know, 

show what you grow, 

meet your friends at the Candelo show". 

We dig it.

And then there's the Bega Show - the Far South Coast National Show. It's bigger. There's a whole section that's all about the rides. There's a smash up derby, and there's fireworks. But it's still super fun and relaxing, especially if, like us, all you take in is the pavilion full of preserves and cakes and novelty heads made from pumpkins and other vegetables, and the woodchop (my personal favourite).

My favourite of Olive's photos, entered into the under 10 colour photography section

This year, we all got into the spirit of things and entered some of our wares. Olive entered photos and a sculpture, a poster about 'groing food' and a bantam rooster. 

The sculpture was made from willow, bamboo and chook feathers

She cleaned up, getting second for her sculpture and poster, and highly commended for the rooster (it was Errol Flynn, and she's pretty keen to enter him in the upcoming regional poultry show, too. I think her favourite bit was giving him a lavender-scented bath the evening before the show, then delivering him into the pavilion amidst oohs and aahs from the old-timers). 

Champion stout

I got first for my stout (the one Oski and I bottled at our outside table!) and second for last season's apple jelly. 

Novice jellies

Pearl got first for her entry in the local food utilisation section - "Menu for a February lunch" and second for her blackberry jam, though was strangely robbed of a prize for her tomato sauce and peach jam. The tomato sauce was especially puzzling, given that the winning sauce was somewhat pale and seemed to have a layer of water on the top. Weird.

Jam in the foreground, next year's ribbon at rear

We're super excited about next year, and are already planning our entries. I've got my eyes on one of those felt ribbons they give out to the champions of each section (I'm thinking home brew), and Pearl's hungering for a ribbon for her tomato collection. 

Errol and Olive back home, recovering from an exciting couple of days in the poultry pavilion