Changes ahead for Keith Show as it becomes weekend event - moving from Sunday-Monday to Saturday-Sunday
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CHANGES are afoot at Keith Show after committee members voted to run the event across a weekend for the first time in many years.
The show has been run on Sunday and Monday of late, but is set to take place on Saturday and Sunday going forward. Next year's show will take place on August 5 and 6.
The change has come about after the recent folding of Tarland Show in Aberdeenshire, which ran on a Saturday. With that gap now in the calendar, Keith Show have decided to fill it.
At an EGM on Tuesday, September 27, the committee voted "overwhelmingly" to move the show forward.
The Sunday will remain the 'family day', while Saturday will be the new Monday, with livestock taking place two days earlier than usual.
"There was a ballot taken at the meeting and an overwhelming amount of people voted for the change," Angela McWilliam, the show's chairwoman, said.
"Tarland Show folded last year. Previously we couldn't stand on their toes, but their folding has now made the weekend date available.
"The committee spoke about this last year and made the decision go ahead with the change in the hope that it helps the public.
"Weekend dates might get more people coming through to the show. The public have received the news well so far.
"A lot of people plan holidays around Keith Show and put in holidays in advance so the decision had to be taken now for next year's show.
"The committee felt that this decision needed to be made for the future financial health of the show."
Mrs McWilliam is sure Keith Show will be just as good, if not better, in the future on the back of these small changes.
"We aren't losing anything to do with the show," she added. "When the show first got going, there were huge local holidays on show days, which there aren't nowadays.
"We will run as normal with the stock day now on Saturday, so the public will now now see stock early and the family day is on the Sunday.
"It'll take us a while to iron out problems and changes but it's a change that's going to work."
Planning has already begun for next year's show, with fundraising events to take place in the coming weeks and months.
A trophy night, with a buffet and a guest speaker, will take place at Longmore Community Hall in Keith on Saturday, October 8. Trophies won at this summer's show will be presented at the event.
There will be two fundraising 'bring a party to a party' events in December that will raise money for the running of the show.
"That will take us to the end of the year," Mrs McWilliam added.
"Planning has already begun for the show – we are always looking to improve and are hoping for sunshine, that's our best friend at Keith Show."
