Its Friday Show Day was set for many years on the People's Day and, sometime in the late 1950s, the Christchurch City Council moved the province's Anniversary Day to coincide with the show and encourage greater crowds.
For many years, the Friday Show Day fell on People's Day. Around the late 1950s, the Christchurch City Council repositioned the province's Anniversary Day to align with the show in order to increase participation and attract more visitors.