The Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society has cancelled this year's spring show due to concerns about COVID-19.
While November's event will not go ahead as the public knows it, there are plans to hold competitions including baking, arts and crafts and animal judging.
"We can obviously gather animals together and have a judge come in and look at those animals, so the farmers are getting their ribbons and prizes from that," executive officer Elizabeth van Beek said.
"People who have cattle and sheep are preparing their animals for months.
Ms van Beek said the cancellation was a huge financial blow but the risk to public safety from large crowds was the driving factor behind the decision.
"We want to keep the public safe and I know they're going to be disappointed, but let's look forward to 2022 and everything we'll be able to do then that we can't do this year."
A blow for the city
Ms van Beek said the decision was made now because considerable work would have been needed to organise the event.
"A lot of work goes into this by the staff, by the committee; a lot of work has to start being paid out for entertainment and other things."
Mayor Daniel Moloney said the cancellation was "a blow in so many regards".
"We are becoming a bit too used to seeing some major events that are important to us cancelled for a second year in a row," he said.
The show society's decision comes as the City of Ballarat begins taking applications from small businesses and community groups as part of a $1 million COVID recovery fund.
The council has also approved a plan for Carols by Candelight to shift to Eureka Stadium, and Cr Moloney said he was hopeful the larger venue would make it easier for the event to go ahead.
