Exhibitors were busy unloading machinery, products and livestock as they set up more than 530 sites for the 68th Australian National Field Days at Borenore on Wednesday.
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Gates are set to open for the three-day agricultural extravaganza at 8.30am on Thursday.
Although the lingering drought means sales are expected to be down, the exhibitors said it was still important to put on a great day out.
Some exhibitors such as Dave North from Bendigo Country Clothing are continuing decades of appearances at the agricultural trade show.
There will also be some solutions for future drought preparation with exhibitors selling water tanks and troughs, as well as pumps and piping for those who have access to water.
Among them is Melbourne-based Orange Pumps which is setting up as part of a site shared by several irrigation supplies companies that are associated with Dubbo-based Irrigation Direct.
Orange Pumps sales manager Peter Waterman started attending the field days in the mid 1980s but this week he is returning after a 12-year absence.
"We have a dealer on site so we thought we would spend a couple of days here and help the dealer," Mr Waterman said.
"We've got pumps here. If they've got water access we've got a solution for it whether it be solar or with electricity."
Lyn and Greg Slade from Rural Outback Trailers travelled from Braidwood with fire-fighting trailers and water-cart trailers.
"We've been very busy selling fire-fighting trailers since the fires up north started," Mrs Slade said.
This year's Field Days also has a focus on mental health and a drought hub has been set up to help farmers get information about assistance.
This year's feature exhibitor will be Central West Beef Week, which will include about 18 breeds of beef cattle in about 40 pens.
However, the Field Days will be about more than shopping and Field Days manager Jayne West said there would be plenty of entertainment in E Street and she encouraged people to bring their families on Saturday.
Entertainment will include sheep dog trials, as well as musical theatre fashion parades, that will feature costumes from six musical productions.
Live music will liven up the event with Ash Sproule performing on Thursday, Justin Landers will perform on Friday and Casey McFarlane will perform on Saturday.
Other attractions include a petting zoo, and Eljay Motorbikes will put on a freestyle entertainment show with an action-packed motorbike and bicycle stunt show.
Elizabeth McKay from Capertee Inspirations has set up her stall in the Style Pavilion for the second year in a row. Based near Rylstone she will sell and display clothing items such as felted scarves.
"Everything in my stall is handmade by me, everything is original and unique," she said.
The CWA has been serving tea and scones at the Field Days since 1987 and the Central West group will return to the pavilion with cooking demonstrations featuring honey at 11.45am and 1.45pm daily.
The Field Days is held at 563 Borenore Road about 15 kilometres west of Orange. Gates open at 8.30am and close at 5pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $18 for adults, $5 for children, $40 for a family or $10 for concession.
There will be a shuttle bus costing $2, which will depart from the Visitor Information Centre in Byng Street at 9am, 10am, 11am and will return at 3pm, 4pm and 5pm.
No dogs are allowed on site except guidance or medical dogs, exhibition site dogs and those entered in the NSW Working Dog Trial.
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Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
