Carnival folk have rolled in with their rides, the brand new equestrian arena is set and volunteers are in the midst of arranging displays of the town's entries.

With old favourites like Viv's animal farm returning by popular demand and plenty of new things to see and do, the Katherine Show president, Cathy Highet said excitement is building.

"Just like every year, there will be lots of food and rides, and so much entertainment," she said.

"The main arena has a massive amount going on from equestrian to the lawn mower challenge."

Expect to wrestle for a good sideline spot at the campdraft and rodeo, as hundreds of people convene for the popular event running over Saturday and Sunday, Mrs Highet said.

"The show has a lot of free entertainment as well such as the V8 Super cars and Tom Curtain's show."

The show president is half way through setting up the creative entries in the craft pavilion and is looking forward to seeing the town's creativity brought to life.

Take a look at the pictures from last year's show

Mostly though, she is looking forward to seeing Rob Bass expertly carve wood into masterpieces, she said.

The Katherine Show has been a mainstay event drawing people from far and wide for more than 50 years.

Trent Gardner has attended the past 15 shows with a crew of 20, bringing some of the most popular rides along.

The travelling team journeys from town show to town show year round, and can set up some of their rides in hours after years of practice.

They bring the dodgem cars, a motor bike track and the thrilling no-limit ride, among others.

He said the show hasn't changed much over the years and always draws a crowd, a tribute to its strength.

"When I first came up, some of the roads were just dirt," he said.

He said his first year was an eye opening experience which kept him coming back year on year.

"The Katherine Show has a different flair to it," he said.

"It is isolated, you have the cowboys and cowgirls come in from their stations, a rodeo, all the different food stalls and a great community vibe.

"The Katherine show is unique, it has a good mix of things to see and do, more so than others."

The Katherine Show runs from Friday, July 19 to 20, with equestrian events starting tomorrow.

For more information, head to the Katherine Show website.

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