Masterton A&P Show: Family fun for all

Louise Delaney and Harry, 1, from Masterton with alpacas at a previous Masterton A&P Show. PHOTO/FILE

Organisers of tomorrow's Masterton A&P Show at Solway showgrounds are brimming with excitement after months of preparation in tailoring the show to fit the needs of the whole family.

Masterton A&P Association manager Melissa Warren said because she was relatively new to the role there was not a lot of lead-in time to bring the show together, but she is confident some new features to the show this year will guarantee a "high standard of family fun".

"I mean we have had to be slightly selective in terms of what we have changed this year, purely because of the lead-in time we've had," she said.

"But we've certainly put effort into making sure we've got great quality but affordable food vendors, that we've got more trade sites available for everybody to look at, that we're catering to everybody in a family unit.

"We want to put on a family fun event, so since the start we've been thinking about all those individuals and what they might like to enjoy and see at our show."

A new feature to the show is an under 5s area and a parents room.

"We've revamped a shed on our grounds and we've now got a parents room, which is fantastic," she said.

"The Wairarapa Parents Centre will be supporting us on the day, and we will have facilities like change tables. "It'll be a nice environment for mother and baby time and breastfeeding, and just to have some time out of the sunshine."

Some of the activities on offer for young kids include a Barrel Train ride, gumboot throws, and facepainting.

For the older kids activities include jousting, a Pink Panther slide and a big bouncy castle.

The show also incorporates the annual Wairarapa Gate-to-Plate Lamb Competition and the Gate to Plate Culinary Marquee.

This event programme will include butcher tips and tricks like knife skills and best cuts, and the chance to team up with one of Wairarapa's top chefs in the Battle of the BBQ.