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Sideshow Alley is a kaleidoscope of colour, noise and life
While having agriculture at its core, the Royal Canberra Show has broadened over the years to reflect more entertainment, educational features and exhibitions, ensuring that there is a vibrant mix of "city meeting country" and "country meeting city".
                                  - Royal National Capital Agricultural Society (RNCAS) description of the Royal Canberra Show.
Despite the clouds and threat of a thorough downpour, Peter and I put on our walking boots this morning and spent four or so enjoyable hours at the Royal Canberra Show. I've been scratching my head trying to remember the last time I'd been to the Show, but I do have very fond memories of attending with my parents and older siblings, as well as taking my own children along when they were small. Such fun!

There's much to see and do (and good things to eat too!). Had our feet not been on fire, I think we might have stayed on into the night. We made a beeline for the exhibition halls and the horticultural displays, as I had keen interest to see the baked and preserved goods, as well as the home grown produce that had taken out prizes. We agreed that next year we should enter some fruit or vegetables from our own kitchen garden! It was great to see that our beekeeper friends from Honey Delight took out prizes again this year. Congratulations Carmen, Todd and family, well deserved!

Next it was time for the city folk to mingle among the cattle, sheep, piglets and other farm animals. Taking care not to step on ripe cow pats among the straw, I took the opportunity to get up close and personal with some cattle. I can't explain why, but I really have a thing for patting cows. Boy, there were some beauties on show.

Finally, we treated ourselves to the kaleidoscope of colour, noise and life in Sideshow Alley. Peter won me a little stuffed tiger on one of the shooting galleries. He took out four out of four targets, while I only managed two (not bad, methinks!). Despite the more modern activities on offer in Sideshow Alley (such as trampolines and rock climbing), I'm happy to report that there's still a good, old fashioned atmosphere, with the lively show personalities, loud music and sound of muffled voices over microphones beckoning visitors to 'step up and have a go!'.
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The Royal National Capital Agricultural Society (RNCAS) has promoted agricultural shows in the ACT and regions for 80 years

'Animals on Show'...

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Fluffy babies, dog fun, woodchop, alpaca, merino, feeding time, country fashion, Red the cattle dog, Angus cattle, rainbow sheep, piglets
Loved the 'Red Cattle Dog' made from rusted iron by Kim Gibbs of All Things Art (above, bottom left corner).

'Harvest Hall'...

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Vintage cookware; fresh produce; award winning bread, honey, scones, sponge cakes and home grown fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Hmm, Harvest Hall has Peter and I thinking that we might just enter some home grown produce next year!
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We bumped into beekeeper friends, Carmen and Todd from Honey Delight, and enjoyed samples of our friend Pepe Saya's butter

Tell me about agricultural shows in your part of the world. What are your favourite aspects of the show?
 


Comments

23/02/2013 1:22am

Looks like a great show, I especially enjoyed the photo of the watermelon tortoise :)

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Lizzy
23/02/2013 2:00am

Hi Tandy, that one was really clever! It was a great day out! ; D

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23/02/2013 2:08am

I love going to the show. I have very fond memories of the Royal Adelaide Show and especially going with my grandpa. We always spent a lot of time talking to family, friends and neighbours exhibiting animals and wool.

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Lizzy
23/02/2013 1:38pm

Kate, that's lovely! What beautiful memories to have and hold ; )

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Loving the vintage cookware and produce shots Lizzy! :D Nice pic of you at the end too :)

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Lizzy
24/02/2013 11:22am

Thanks Lorraine. The vintage cookware was on display in Harvest Hall, behind glass. I was happy with how the shots came out. ; )

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24/02/2013 12:22am

Oh I just love looking at the preserves and baked goods. Thats my favourite part. Love seeing the animals too!. Great shots

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Lizzy
24/02/2013 11:22am

Thank you... sounds like we have similar interests in the show.

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The Little Red Hen
24/02/2013 3:28am

I remember being so excited the night before we would go to the Canberra Show that I couldn't sleep a wink. This went on for years-more exciting to me as a kid than Christmas or birthdays. Is that a little bit weird? My favourite thing to see was (and is still) always the goats, especially the Anglo Nubians.

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Lizzy
24/02/2013 11:23am

Hi, no I don't think it's weird. I used to get pretty excited too. In fact, given that I hadn't been for years and years, I was fairly wound up about this one too and I had a ball! Incidentally, this was Peter's FIRST ever show.

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25/02/2013 12:16am

Lizzy, what a beautiful shirt you're wearing!! The show looks like it was great fun - smaller scale perhaps than our Easter Show, which gets a bit huge and commercialised sometimes...

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Lizzy
25/02/2013 12:19am

Thank you, Celia. It was GREAT fun and brought back some wonderful memories for me of going with my parents and my three older siblings; as well as taking my own kiddies. Do you know I've never been to the Royal Easter Show... and this was Peter's FIRST ever show! No wonder he wanted a dagwood dog, LOL!

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25/02/2013 1:53pm

I love the Sydney Royal Easter Show!! Haven't been to the Canberra one but it looks great. You sure covered a lot of the show, Lizzy! You must have been exhausted. I am impressed!

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Lizzy
25/02/2013 10:49pm

LOL, we were soooooooo tired! But had such a good time. I have never been to the Sydney one. One for the bucket list!

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25/02/2013 4:27pm

Oh Lizzy, what wonderful photo's - you've captured the colour and fun of the show beautifully. I can almost hear the noise and smell the dagwood dogs!

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Lizzy
25/02/2013 10:49pm

LOL, thank you Amanda ; )

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26/02/2013 11:38pm

What an amazing collage of food images!!! Well done, what a great story!

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Lizzy
27/02/2013 2:45am

Thank you very much!!

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27/02/2013 7:06pm

What a lovely post. I must try to get to Canberra very soon. I always have a wonderful time.

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Lizzy
28/02/2013 2:06am

Thank you Anna! Glad you love Canberra, be nice to catch up sometime when you visit!

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