11 May, 2010 – For immediate release
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The wider Waikato set to wow Fieldays visitors

Every year, the New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays attracts large numbers to the Waikato region. Over the four days of Fieldays, thousands flock to Mystery Creek Events Centre. Accommodation facilities in the area are occupied months in advance, resulting in visitors staying in smaller towns on the fringe of Hamilton. For these guests, the local community charm of these townships is not often experienced and is a great promotional opportunity for the town. So get into the rural spirit and show these visitors who has the finest town in the Fieldays BIG Little Town Festival.

With the help from local i-sites, there are many ways to be involved in The Big Little Town Festival. The more creative and original the ideas are, the better. Parades and school art installations are promoted in the festival although the most prevalent aspect of the festival is the retail window dressing competition. Stores embellish their window displays in what they believe to be the essence of Fieldays. The retailers compete for cash prizes and contribute to the overall honored award, the Fieldays Big Little Town Community Festival Trophy.

The initiative was launched in 2008 and has seen many towns benefit from showing their support with the biggest agribusiness exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere. The festival encourages towns to get in the Fieldays spirit by celebrating the rural roots of the Waikato. Consequently, this encourages the guests to spend time in the region by enjoying the attractions, cuisine and shopping on offer.

Towns which have already registered in the Fieldays BIG Little Town Festival are; Matamata, Morrinsville, Tirau, Putaruru, Tokoroa, Cambridge and Te Awamutu.

Judging takes place on 8-10 June with criteria based on innovation, imagination, presentation and agricultural focus. Each town will be judged by a local personality, town Mayor and a Fieldays representative. This is your towns chance to be involved in the biggest event in the Waikato by displaying your towns community character to the thousands of visitors in the region.

For more information about the Fieldays BIG Little Town Festival please contact the competition coordinator, Gemma Antoniadis on 07 843 4497.

New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays will be held 16 to 19 June, 2010 at Mystery Creek Events Centre, ten minutes south of Hamilton. Fieldays is proudly supported by strategic partners; The National Bank and the University of Waikato.

ENDS

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