COUNTRY shows are making a big comeback. South Australian Country Shows president Keith Colyer says country shows across the State have boosted attendances and are now "going very strongly".
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He attributes the resurgence to people searching for value in tough economic times, and the growing involvement of youth.
"Country shows are a very economic form of entertainment," he said. "It costs less to go to a country show for a full-day's entertainment, than to go to a two-hour movie.
"The shows provide entertainment for a family at a reasonable cost, and I think people are trying to make their dollars go as far as they can. We have missed two generations of involvement in shows, from every group from volunteers to convenors – that generation aged from 40 to 60 has been missing," he said. "But now, with our Rural Ambassadors and Young Rural Ambassadors programs and the Next Generation Group, we're encouraging younger people to be involved."
Mr Colyer said the injection of youth into shows was helping shore-up their future.
The last country show to close its doors was the Renmark in 2010, but there are no other shows in imminent danger of closing.
Evidence of the popularity of country shows has come in the form of the 14,000 people who went through the gates at Whyalla Show over the weekend.
Whyalla Show Society president Cherylee Boehm said she was very happy. "We had great entries and exhibits throughout our pavillions and stadium, with work submitted from school children through to hobbyists," she said.
"We see consistently great crowds, and it's thanks to a lot of work by our committees, volunteers and service groups."
Two country shows on this Sunday, August 25, are Quorn and Port Lincoln Show.
