A slimmed down A&P Show brought in people from all over Canterbury

This weekend saw over 20,000 visitors through the gates of Canterbury's A&P showgrounds.

As a new slimmed down version called the Christchurch show emerged. 

Around April this year, the show's future was looking grim as the A&P association board said there wouldn't be enough funds to keep it running…but with help from the Christchurch City Council and a private events company the show was brought back - smaller but at least running.

With bad weather and a kids roller coaster being shut down due to supposedly loose parts, the show was off to a rocky start, but that didn’t keep visitors away.

Those who did come saw a new range of entertainment, with attractions including lawn mower and drone racing, a rare New Zealand animal breed exhibition on display and free craft centers making the show more interactive.

Along with the added extras the organizers made sure to keep all the traditional aspects of an A&P show and this year the stock entries even exceeded expectations.

However, with all the additions and available entertainment there was still feedback from those attending the event that there were a lot less stalls than previous years, but all produce was better quality - which made up for it.

This year the show was available to the public for three days - Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The tickets were almost half the price as last year's entry, making the event more accessible for families and bigger groups. 

Although the weekend had what looked like a promising outcome, it is now up to the Christchurch City Council and the A&P association board to review the event and decide whether or not the show will make its return next year.