Are there any school buses left in the GTA? I thought to myself as I waded through the laughing school groups standing outside the entrance of the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place. With an assembly as excited and enthusiastic as this, it was hard to not get more than a little giddy at the anticipation of what lay within.
I will be completely honest. I had not been to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair since I was young enough to be a student in one of the school groups I found myself surrounded by. I came to the Royal, as it is known locally, with very little idea of what to expect but a great deal of excitement. I am a big fan of cows, for one, and just the vague recollection of six year old me spending hours staring at all manner of farmyard animals instantly invoked a warm nostalgia that had me ready to get started.
You could spend a whole day exploring the delicious novelties at the Royal Food Court alone.
Chris Whitehead
“What started as a primarily agriculture-based event has evolved quite a bit since we first got started back in 1918,” Ian said. “While we still are very true to that aspect we also offer a world class food and equine experience to our visitors. As the largest combined indoor agriculture fair and equine competition in the world, there is a lot to see and do while here. While it is easy to say there is something for everybody, here at the Royal we mean that very literally.”
To this point I can attest that Ian is not simply boasting. The Royal has an amazingly diverse mix of people in one place, everything from suburban families enjoying the agility of competition dogs over at the Animal Theatre to farmers from across rural Ontario showing off their prized dairy cattle at the Ring of Excellence, and Toronto urbanites in black tie and evening gowns arriving for an elegant dinner at The Royal Terrace while they enjoy The Royal Horse Show, the premier indoor horse show in North America.
A collection of prized cows lounging in the wings before competition.
Chris Whitehead
After parting with Ian I spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the fair at my own pace, checking out all the vendor booths, drooling in the Royal Food Court, seeing the farm animals get pampered before competition, sampling all the artisanal cheeses and cured meats I could get my hands on and of course, paying homage to the butter sculptures (a required part of the Royal experience I was told by a colleague).
There is always something to see over at the Royal Horse Show.
Chris Whitehead
The 2016 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs from November 4 – 13. For event schedules and ticket information please visit them online at www.royalfair.org.
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