A MUCH-LOVED show which had its beginnings in 1885 will return this weekend. 

Hawkesbury Horticultural Show had its beginnings in 1885 and continues, 139 years later, to provide a traditional fun day for all the family.

It is held at the recreation ground of Hawkesbury Village Hall in the village of Hawkesbury Upton, near Badminton and welcomes hundreds of visitors each year.

The main attraction is the large marquee, full of exhibits to be judged on show day - the biggest and best fruit, vegetables and flowers as well as crafts, home baking, homemade wine and beer, flower arrangements, photographs and children’s pictures, crafts and cakes.

Gates to the Showground open to the public at 12.30pm and accept cash, pre-paid tickets (available at Hawkesbury Upton village shop and from Hawkesbury Upton  Post Office) or card payments.

The Show officially begins at 1.00pm with the crowning of the Carnival Queen, or Carnival King, by the war memorial on The Plain at the end of High Street.

The carnival procession of decorated floats and walkers in fancy dress will then travel through the village and into the showground, led by the Nailsworth Silver Band. 

Details of all entertainment, timings and a list of stalls are available on our website and in the free show programme, available at the entry gate on Showday.

Entertaining visitors in the central arena this year will be the very popular freestyle mountain bike stunt team ‘Savage Skills’ who will be demonstrating amazing jumps and flips.

There will also be a dog agility display by Paws for Thought. 

Fairground rides and side stalls are provided by Roger’s Fair, as well as the popular regulars - the hog and deer roast, beer tent and the Pimms tent.

Refreshments are available throughout the afternoon in the Village Hall while a variety of hot food can be purchased from stalls and outlets on the Showground.

The final arena events are the tractor-pull challenge and a tug of war, which always provides good-natured rivalry, encouraged by the Show compere.

At the end of the afternoon, prizes and trophies are awarded and the raffle is drawn.

The Show concludes with a lively auction of donated produce from the marquee, with Nick Cragg, a very experienced auctioneer.

Entertainment continues into the evening with live music from Paul ‘Clarky’ Clark in the beer tent and some fairground rides and food outlets remaining open.

Hawkesbury Showground hosts 40 stalls, arranged around the central entertainment arena.

This year there are a wide range of stalls including plants, hand thrown pottery, aromatherapy products, beeswax gifts, natural dog treats, skincare products and a number of charity stalls

There is hot food available including Thai street food, pizzas, pork and venison rolls from the BBQ and also stalls selling traybakes, bread, cheese, preserves and cakes, prosecco and cocktails.

 To see photographs of past shows and details of the day, hour by hour, visit  www.hawkesburyshow.org