The huge one-day event was called off due to wet weather last year, to the disappointment of thousands. 

RSFC assistant secretary Lola Cummins said she’s confident the weather will hold out for Saturday, August 5. 

“The carnival brings about 4000 people to town, it practically doubles the population of Junee,” Mrs Cummins said. 

Secretary Marie Allamby said the volunteer committee are working hard and excited with just a few weeks left to go. 

“We want to thank our wonderful sponsors from the town, Junee Correctional Centre for their help marking the grounds, the inmates do a lot of the lead up work and also Council, who do a lot,” she said. 

“It doesn’t matter what code or what sport you come from, it’s really something huge for the whole town.” 

Junior league players from seven to 15 years of age from Leeton, Griffith, Coleambally, Wagga, Albury and multiple Canberra clubs have already lodged entries. 

There is capacity for roughly 150 clubs in the event. 

Alan Kearins has volunteered for decades, once serving as president.

He remembers when there were just eight divisions, all school teams, running around a cotton track.

Now he’s a familiar, friendly face at the kiosk. 

“It was a lot different back in the day, we’d be lighting up old kerosene tins to cook up the hotdogs,” he said. 

He hopes to see some young blood get involved in organisation. 

The carnival tries to pair teams that normally wouldn’t play each other in divisions of four, played as a round-robin with winners decided on a points-based system. 

Games will be held at the Laurie Daley Oval, Loftus Oval, Burns Park and Junee Showground and played over 15 fields.  

“We even take over the soccer grounds for the day and there aren’t many places that would happen,” Mrs Cummins said. 

The event will be attended by representatives of the NRL Mitchell Quinn, Adam Kidd and game development manager Luke Ellis.

Two NRL grand final tickets will be up for grabs in the major raffle with tickets on sale two weeks before the event at Papershop Corner. 

For upcoming junior referees, the carnival also features a training session and qualifying game under Pat Walsh from the NRL.