TIME TO SHOW AND SHINE

SOUTHPORT is ready to show the Gold Coast’s biggest community event – the 112th Gold Coast Show – its decision to relocate was the right move.

The show will be held from Friday to Sunday, with events at multiple venues – Owen Park, Broadwater Parklands and the Southport CBD.

The organisers’ decision to make the 2018 event free for the first time in its history is expected to bring 65,000 people into Southport this weekend.

It also means crowds will have more money to spend on the almost 100 different showbags (priced from $6 to $30) in the new Showbag Tent on the great lawn of the Broadwater Parklands.

Local area councillor Dawn Crichlow said show organisers, residents and traders were delighted the annual celebration had moved from the Gold Coast Turf Club to Southport.

“People are happy. We’re happy,” she said.

“Times are tough and people are watching every penny so to be able to get in at no cost is great.

“And the show has had a longer time to set up this year than at the turf club.”

With this year’s show free for all to attend, Cr Crichlow said funds raised from paid parking at Carey Park would help the show society cover the costs involved in staging the event.

Cr Crichlow said people in the precinct’s highrises would have a bird’s eye view of the new nightly light show, Luminocity, and traditional fireworks display.

“The Chinatown mar-

kets are on Saturday evening, so people will be able to walk from the Broadwater Parklands to the markets and then get on the light rail to Owen Park,” she said.

Cr Crichlow said seniors could still travel free on buses from 8.30am to 3.30pm on Friday even though it is a public holiday.

FOR many of the Gold Coast region’s residents, traditional country and agricultural shows are not, as their detractors often suggest, a thing of the past.

Events such as this weekend’s 112th annual Gold Coast Show are a rich part of our past, present and future. Local shows have played an important role in rural and regional life for more than a century, providing communities with a chance to come together and share produce, knowledge, creative endeavours and fun.

Sadly, their number — and attendance figures — are on the decline. And no wonder. While the Gold Coast Show has played an important part in our city’s history, it was doomed to failure when it was forced to move to the Gold Coast Turf Club.

Its relocation to satellite sites at Broadwater Parklands and Owen Park in Southport this year is a temporary solution as work continues to secure its long-term future. Which is why crowds should make the most of the free entry on offer at this year’s Show. Vote with your feet and show your local show the show isn’t over yet.