This year's show will be on February 17, 18 and 19 and will feature all the favourites, including a bigger and better-than-ever grand parade.

Ride operators have already started arriving, and excitement is building across the agricultural and wider-community because there's no time like show time.

Maitland Showground manager Brett Gleeson said the program has just been finalised, and it's jam-packed as usual, and aligns with the traditional agricultural show style he usually puts on.

In other news:

"The feature for Friday night will be the rodeo again, the only difference being it will start at 4.30 with barrel racing because we're expecting record entries for the barrels," he said.

"We've got a special offer on Friday morning we're calling 'mums, bubs and seniors' but it's open to anyone who comes in before 1pm, which is a $10 ticket."

Last year's popular dinosaur display will be back again, as will the animal nursery and pig racing across the three days.

Saturday's highlight will be the grand parade, according to Mr Gleeson.

"The highlight will be the grand parade at 3pm followed by the official opening at 3.30pm," he said.

"We'll have the tent pegging, the RM Williams Australian Stockhorse Flag Display that we had last year, and the Freestyle Kings Motorcycle Display.

"Then Sunday we've got similar things, we've got lawnmower racing and tent pegging, and another demolition derby on Sunday after lunch."

There will be plenty of competitions running over the weekend including the cattle clinic which is a qualifier for the Sydney Royal, horse competitions, dogs, goats, wood chop, donkeys and poultry.

The art competition will be back for the first time in six years due to popular demand, and there will be international photography, cooking, home crafts, woodwork and horticulture exhibitions as well.

Mr Gleeson said he is personally looking forward to the rodeo, livestock competitions and the grand parade, which will be "bigger and better than is has been".

"We're growing it each year and I think it's going to be fabulous, to have a snapshot of most of the stuff around the show in the centre ring at the same time," he said.

Competition entries are starting to flow in, and this year there is an easy online entry system.

There is also a new ticketing system, where people can buy tickets online and receive express entry at the gate.

Visit maitlandshowground.com.au/msevents/maitland-show for further details, tickets and competition entries.