One of the biggest events on the local calendar, the Kempsey Show, has been given the COVID green light to go ahead in 2021.
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This comes after the announcement from NSW Health that it was confident country shows could be made COVID-19 safe.
President of the Kempsey Show Society, Stewart Witchard, said the plan is for the show to go ahead as close to normal as possible.
"We are planning to run a full show and make it as normal as we can. We will be guided by the restrictions and we will be asking the community to follow the COVID-19 safety rules," he said.
"There will be a limit of 5000 people allowed into the show at any one time and we'll be managing this by having allocated tickets for each day of the show.
"We will be holding a pre-sale for tickets and we will be encouraging the public to purchase them early to make entry into the showground smoother, but tickets will also be available at the gate."
The Kempsey Show usually draws a crowd of around 4500 people at any one time and Stewart said he is positive the 5000 person limit won't restrict show-goers.
"People will also have to sign in on arrival and we will have sanitiser available throughout the showground and locals will have to abide by the 1.5 metre rule."
Plans are also being discussed as to how Sideshow Alley will be made COVID-19 safe for next year's show.
The Macleay has endured a difficult 12 months due to drought, bushfires and a pandemic but Stewart said the 2021 Kempsey Show will be a chance for locals to enjoy themselves.
"The show is for the whole community and after one of the worst years we've had, it will be good for people's mental health as well," he said.
"We had a lot of entertainment planned for the 2020 show, but will now be making sure the show next year will be a stand out."
The 2021 Kempsey Show will be held on April 13 and 14 next year.
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