Like so many events, the Coonamble carnival was a COVID-19 casualty in 2020, but club president Graham Pickering is hoping the event might be able to go ahead this year.

"It was disappointing that the carnival had to be cancelled last year, but when we made the decision with Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW), we knew it was the right decision to make," Pickering said.

"It's a great tradition that we have here every October long weekend, some great racing and a lot of other activities, and it gives the local community a real boost, not just financially but puts a smile on everyone's face.

"We have had a lot of new sponsors come on board this year and we have had a lot of enquiries from people around the country wanting to get here for the carnival this year, and while we're all hoping that we can go ahead this year, just like last year we will again be guided by the Government, health authorities and GRNSW."

Pickering said the people of Coonamble are like everyone "finding it a bit tough" and concerned about coronavirus reaching the region, but "everyone is trying to do the right thing, sometimes it gets a bit hard, but we have to do what we need to do."

In preparation for the carnival, GRNSW is working with the club to install a new semaphore board, refurbish the starting boxes, and remediate the turf track.

This article was produced as part of an ACM partnership with Greyhound Racing NSW.