The Noorat Show cancelled amid coronavirus pandemic, vital school fundraisers on hold

The committee of one of Victoria's most popular one-day agricultural shows decided the health of the community could not be compromised, ruling a line through its November 21 event at a meeting on Monday night.

President Monica Heffernan said the committee had been grappling with the decision for months.

"We know most people will understand our decision to cancel this year's show but I think it's fair to say the decision was still made by all of us with a heavy heart," Mrs Heffernan said.

"Planning for the 2020 show began almost as soon as last year's show finished, and it wasn't fair to expect our volunteers to keep working towards a day that was becoming less and less likely to happen.

"Now that we've made the decision to cancel this year's show, we can look ahead to the 2021 show and make sure it's the best show we've ever held."

For a community of just over 300 people, the Noorat Show attracted about 7000 people last year, bucking the trend of declining attendance numbers at agricultural shows.

Noorat Primary School along with many other schools in the region hold vital fundraisers at the annual show.

Acting principal Ilona Watkins said the cancellation of the show meant the school would look to other means to raise funds this year.

"Our children enter artwork, stories and cooking into the show and we have the chicken drop fundraiser where people buy tickets correlating to a square and two or three times throughout the day a chicken is let loose and the tickets of the square it poos in wins a prize," she said.

"The show is a big part of our year and it gives people the opportunity to see our beautiful landscape.

"Obviously, it is different this year."

Ms Watkins said the coronavirus restrictions had made it difficult for the Parents and Friends Association to plan any fundraisers for the year, but they were hopeful an event may be able to happen later in the year.

"Any attempt to get some fundraising activities going are on hold," Ms Watkins said.

"We haven't been able to plan a whole lot because it's too uncertain. We're conscious family situations have changed and of what they might be going through.

"We have some ideas we're working towards in place of the show."

The committee of the Noorat and District Agricultural and Pastoral Society are positive the show will go on and have set their next show for November 20, 2021.

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"It's taken a pandemic to stop us holding a show this year, but I don't think it will stop people coming back in the years to come," Mrs Heffernan said.

"Show day is about so much more than the actual show; it's about friends and family coming together which is something we need more than ever right now and that's what made the decision to cancel so tough.

"It's just a good old-fashioned day made possible by a great group of local people and sponsors and that's why I think people will keep supporting us and keep making the trip to Noorat on the third Saturday of November in the years to come."

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