The crowd at the 2023 show. Photo: Supplied
Organisers of the Hawke's Bay A&P Show say pulling back the iconic event from three days to two will help keep it alive.
The iconic agricultural and pastoral show, which puts rural life in the spotlight, will run from 9am to 4pm over the next two days - to celebrate the region's anniversary day this Friday.
Similar agricultural-based events have hit hurdles in recent years, as consumers tighten spending, especially cash-strapped farmers.
This included November's revamped New Zealand Agricultural Show, which was pulled back from the brink of cancellation by the Christchurch City Council earlier this year.
Hawke's Bay A&P Society vice president Isabelle Crawshaw said visitors will still have plenty of activities and events on tap to enjoy.
"We've managed to pack in a lot into a two-day schedule. Usually it's a three-day show, so we've managed to really cram everything in and make sure that the community that turns up over the next couple of days have got a lot to see."
She said usually Wednesday would be the focus of educational and career programmes for young people - which was now integrated into the two days.
"We managed to still deliver all of that, but just putting it across the two days, which means that there's a lot more for people to see while they're here, as opposed to being spread out across the three days.
"So hopefully people really get their money worth when they turn up."
Crawshaw said the show was an important way for showing young people what was possible across the sector.
"That urban rural connection is so important so that kids get to see all of the different opportunities that are available in the sector and A&P shows are such a huge conduit to be able to provide that. So I think it's really important that we keep them alive," she said.
"It's just about making sure that we remain relevant and that we remain something that is accessible to all of the community which is something we're really conscious of and doing a lot of work in that space in the build up to next year as well."
MetService was forecasting fine weather at 27-degrees for Hastings on Thursday - and the show will run from 9am to 4pm at the A&P Showgrounds.