Out and About Sunraysia: Was the Mildura Show Better in the 80s? And Just How Much Does It Mean to Our Town?

Remember when the Mildura Show was one of the biggest events on the family calendar?

For many of us who grew up in Sunraysia during the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the annual Mildura Show was something we looked forward to for weeks.

There was the excitement of arriving at the showgrounds, the noise of the rides, the smell of hot dogs, fairy floss and freshly cooked doughnuts, and the seemingly endless rows of sideshow games promising prizes that always looked easier to win than they actually were.

And, of course, there were the showbags.

You'd spend ages looking through the options, trying to work out how to stretch whatever money you'd managed to save. Then there was the important decision of whether to spend the rest on another ride or take your chances trying to win an oversized stuffed toy.

For kids growing up in Mildura, it was a pretty big deal.

But was the Mildura Show actually better back then, or are we simply remembering it through the eyes of a ten-year-old?

When the Show Was More Than Just the Rides

One thing that stands out when looking back at agricultural shows is how closely they were connected to the farming communities around them.

The Mildura Show wasn't simply a travelling carnival. It was an opportunity for local growers, farmers, gardeners, cooks, craftspeople and families to show off what they could do.

For many families, walking through the pavilions was just as much a part of the day as heading over to the sideshow alley.

And who remembers looking for their own school artwork among the displays, or seeing whether someone they knew had picked up a ribbon?

These days, the rides and entertainment tend to attract much of the attention. But the traditional competitions are still part of the event, and the Show Society has publicly stated that it wants to strengthen the agricultural side of the show again.

Perhaps that's one of the things people are really missing when they say the show isn't what it used to be.

Or Have We Just Changed?

It's worth considering that the Mildura Show was competing with far fewer entertainment options back in the 1980s.

There was no internet, no smartphones, no streaming services and certainly no endless supply of entertainment available at the touch of a screen.

A travelling carnival coming to town was a genuine novelty.

For many children, the show might have been one of the few opportunities each year to experience large carnival rides, sideshow attractions and the excitement of a major community event.

Today, children have access to entertainment that would have been difficult to imagine forty years ago.

Perhaps the show hasn't lost its magic. Perhaps it's simply harder to impress an audience that has seen so much more.

And there's another consideration: as adults, we're now the ones paying for admission, rides, food and showbags.

Things can look very different when you're holding the wallet rather than waiting for Mum or Dad to hand over a few dollars.

The 2026 Mildura Show

Mildura Show attractions — Photo: Mildura Show

This year's Mildura Show runs from Thursday 15 October to Saturday 17 October at the Mildura Recreation Reserve.

The program includes carnival rides, showbags, livestock and animal displays, pavilion competitions, food stalls and live entertainment.

Among the advertised attractions are the Madstyle Moto motorcycle stunt show, camel rides, Tubby the Robot, Black Snake Productions and an animal nursery.

There are also fireworks planned for Thursday and Saturday evenings.

Importantly, the traditional side of the show hasn't disappeared. Horse events, agricultural exhibits, cooking, arts and crafts, flowers and farm produce remain part of the program.

The question is whether people still make the time to explore those parts of the show, or whether the rides and sideshows have become the main attraction.

A Tradition That Nearly Disappeared

There's another reason not to take the Mildura Show for granted.

In 2024, serious concerns were raised about whether the event could continue because of a shortage of volunteers.

At the time, organisers warned that the workload involved in running such a large event was becoming increasingly difficult for a relatively small committee.

The show survived, returning in 2025 and again this year.

It's a reminder that an event many of us simply expect to appear on the calendar every October doesn't happen by itself.

Behind the scenes are volunteers, community groups, exhibitors, sponsors and organisers putting in countless hours.

And whether you enjoy the rides, the animals, the competitions or simply catching up with people you haven't seen for a while, that community involvement is a big part of what makes a country show different from an ordinary carnival.

So, Was It Better in the 80s?

Maybe it was.

Maybe the rides seemed bigger, the showbags seemed better value and the whole event felt more exciting.

Or maybe we were simply younger, had fewer responsibilities and saw the world a little differently.

There's certainly something special about remembering the Mildura Show as a child, particularly if you now have children or grandchildren of your own.

But there's also something to be said for keeping a tradition alive that has been part of Sunraysia since 1890.

The Mildura Show has changed over the decades, just as our town has changed.

And while we can debate whether it was better forty years ago, its ability to bring people together, support community organisations and showcase the region remains important.