Wānaka’s annual A&P Show, one of the largest in the country, will take place next weekend (March 7-8), and it will feature new classes in the popular Home Industry section.

The Home Industry pavilion always draws a crowd throughout the show, spotlighting the community's talents in everything from scarecrow crafting and photography to baking and gardening.

Competitions include arts, crafts, flowers, paintings, homebrew, vegetables and baking. It incorporates creations from the local community with exhibitors of all ages.

Liz Buggs and Toni Hyslop are this year’s Home Industry co-convenors, and they’ve made some changes to the line-up.

Liz told the Wānaka App there are “fabulous” special prizes in the preserves and jams classes.

“They include fancy French copper preserving pans and a Lavender Farm gift set,” she said.

“We’ve added classes to the Business Cake Bake Off (Class 926 Sponge any flavour) and to the Family Section (Class 1105 Make a Fairy House 30cm x 30cm).  

“This brings our class total in the open section to 169 - something for everyone to enter.”

There are also 80 junior classes, Liz said.

Prize money in most open classes has also doubled this year, bringing the first prize value up to $10, second prize to $6 and third to $4. The junior class prize money has also doubled, with $8 for first place, $5 for second place, $3 for third place, and $2 for fourth place.  

The entry fee remains the same as in recent years: just fifty cents for junior classes and open flower classes and $1 for the remaining open classes.

Liz said the Home Industry judges this year will be new (with the exception of two): “We operate a two year rotation on the judges to make sure we bring in fresh eyes for our entrants.”

This year the Home Industry Float will also be back in the main ring joining in with the Grand Parade on Saturday.

Home Industry entries are currently open, and anyone who enters online before Friday (February 28) will go in the draw to win a Barker’s of Geraldine gift box valued at $220.

Enter any Home Industry class at the Wānaka A&P Show before Friday to automatically go into the draw.

PHOTO: Supplied