The Coonamble show is cancelled due to the pandemic but as the New South Wales town recovers from years of drought, empty shops will exhibit quilts, pumpkins and flowers in a 'show-not-show' event.
Many shops in the main street have closed because of the financial downturn brought on by three years of drought.
So the Show Society, with the help of the local Chamber of Commerce, decided to turn the empty shop-front windows into an exhibition centre.
Show society secretary Emily Ryan said it would still allow residents to display their paintings and craft they had been working on.
"We've gone from three years of drought to quite a bit of rain so everyone's in good joy and we're hoping it will keep spirits lifted," Ms Ryan said.
The window displays will only have limited cooked items so there will not be 'scones on a plate' but there will be categories for quilts, crocheted rugs and art.
Some jams and produce such as pumpkins, can be exhibited.
"We can't have cooking because the displays are going to sit in the shop fronts for four weeks, so no cooking or fresh flowers," pavilion steward Kylie Parry said.
"But the locals cafes are going to be selling show food so you can still get your dagwood dogs and hot chips."
The Coonamble Show was scheduled for the end of May and it usually includes a public holiday, but both are cancelled, like many other country shows in NSW during this pandemic.
But Ms Ryan said it was important to still have something on show, as people had been preparing their entries before the coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm a school teacher and my class had been working for a whole term on all of their show art and when we found out the show was cancelled we were devastated," she said.
"It's exciting they can still showcase it to their family and friends."
2021 show will be bigger and better
The Coonamble Show Society said it was working towards next year's show already, bolstered by a $500,000 grant to improve facilities.
Ms Ryan says it will allow them to rebuild the cattle yards with an undercover area.
"We've got quite an old shed there, so that's pretty exciting," she said.
"We're also looking at putting an extension on the pavilions for some storage and a new arena fence."
