Royal Easter Show in Sydney

Part of the crowd at the Main Arena

To a lot of new migrants and visitors to Sydney, The Royal Easter Show is part Agricultural Show, part Harvest Festival; as in "Fiesta" in most Hispanic countries and part trade show.

It was first started in 1823 in Parramatta, after the formation of the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) in 1822. The RAS was formed by a group of Sydney's leading citizens with the aim of "furthering the quality of Australia's primary production by means of contests and competitions".

To date, the RAS showcases various competitions from cake making, decoration and baking, to painting, photography, arts and crafts, stitching, "recylced art", meat and dairy produce, and almost anything to do with primary produce. It awards the coveted "blue ribbons" for the best of the best of the show, and the red and yellow ribbons for the runner up.

Produce Showcase at the Agricultural Pavillion

Ferris Wheel

The atmosphere nowadays is of festival with modern rides (as opposed to the olden horse and buggy rides), food galore and showbags.

What do you say are showbags?

As the Royal Easter Show is a national icon and an annual event, that "celebrates all things Australian from (our) bush heritage to the latest in entertainment"; showbags are what the kids, teenagers and some adults wait for eagerly. In the strictest of sense, it is a bag full of goodies at "discounted" prices; from chocolates and other lollies to mostly toys, magazines, trade samples, etc. There is practically a showbag for everyone. There is even a "review" of the best valued and sought after show bag!

"Showbags Pavillion"

Part of the Crowd at the Show

Of course there are also horse jumping, wood chopping, various animal shows; showcasing the best breeds of cows, chickens, sheeps, horses, etc. Plus showcases of the various agricultural produce, as in vegetables and fruits.

"Wood Chopping Competition"

"Agricultural Showcase"

"Smiling Clowns"

If in Sydney during the Easter break, don't miss the Easter Show. It is an Aussie icon that one can not miss!