The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair celebrates 90 Years November 2 to 11
- The Royal set to launch 10 days and nights of fantastic family entertainment, agricultural education and competition -
TORONTO, Oct. 4, 2012 /CNW/ - Celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, The 2012 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair will showcase an entertaining lineup, including performances by equestrian Olympians and appearances by culinary celebrities Padma Lakshmi, Curtis Stone and Bob Blumer. From day to night, The Royal will have something for everyone.
Taking place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the world's largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show, which brings thousands of livestock animals to the city each November. This year, The 90th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs November 2-11, 2012.
"To celebrate The Royal's 90th, we will showcase all the engaging, educational and entertaining events that happen at the Fair during the day, and at night," said Sandra Banks, CEO, The Royal. "We encourage families to visit the animal and farm fun, and harvest exhibits during the day, but also invite those parents - and all adults - back to The Royal to explore the shopping, restaurants and nightlife."
New this year, The Royal will extend its Annual Chef Competition into a multi-day event. Host of Top Chef, cookbook author and model, Padma Lakshmi, will host the Kick-Off Chef Competition on The Royal's Opening Day, while Australian chef and co-host of Around the World in 80 Plates, Curtis Stone will host the Chef Competition Finale on Saturday, November 10.
Bob Blumer of The Food Network's Surreal Gourmet, Glutton for Punishment and World's Weirdest Restaurants will host the Chef Competition on Sunday, November 4. Royal chefs this year will use ingredients from the Fair's prize-winning list of local products.
Rounding out the Fair's culinary events, Bob Blumer, along with The Thirsty Traveler's Kevin Brauch, will host The Annual Royal Mixology Competition on Monday, November 5, that pits local mixologists against one another in effort to create the finest cocktail using local ingredients.
In addition to the competing cooks and cocktails, the livestock and agricultural competitions - such as the beef and dairy cattle shows in the Scotiabank Ring of Excellence and the giant vegetables - remain at the core of The Royal, and continue to draw in huge crowds eager to see real farm life up close.
Hosted by Heartland's star Amber Marshall, the crowd-favourite Ontario Toyota Dealers Royal Rodeo is back and runs on Sunday, November 4. The Rodeo features barrel racing, bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding and performances by the Canadian Cowgirls - an elite precision drill team that will dazzle the audience with their daring and dangerous maneuvers.
As part of The Royal's emphasis on fulsome day and night programming, on opening night celebrity chef Padma Lakshmi will be hosting a Wine Dinner on November 2. In addition, new this year there is The Royal Pub Crawl that has Fairgoers join Thirsty Traveller Kevin Brauch for an eclectic and exciting tour of The Royal's signature bars and restaurants including The Royal Wine Bar & Brew House, The Bull Pen Saloon, The Bit & Bridle Café, and The Tanbark Club.
The Royal began in 1922 with a small group of farmers eager to catch-up with each other after the busy fall harvest. From there, The Royal grew into Canada's premier event for showcasing the best in agricultural products and innovations. As The Royal's reputation for offering best-in-class competitions grew, the prestigious Horse Show with its exciting and engaging shows was added to the line-up and began to attract the equine community. Today, The Royal has expanded its reach far beyond farmers and riders to include a more diverse audience-base who may have never before had the opportunity to watch horse shows, or experience country life in the city.
ADDITIONAL ROYAL AGRICULTURAL WINTER FAIR'S STAR ATTRACTIONS
Royal Horse Show
The most prestigious and important indoor equestrian event in North America, The Royal Horse Show will amaze audiences with the attendance of some of the world's most famous riders competing in Olympic disciplines. These include Show Jumping, Dressage as well as The Royal's own Indoor Eventing. This year marks the introduction of the $100,000 Hickstead FEI World CupTM Grand Prix, renamed in honour and memory of Canada's own Olympic champion horse Hickstead. Also not to be missed are the Greenhawk Canadian Show Jumping Championships and the Ricoh Big Ben Challenge - the grand finale of International Show Jumping.
Set in the impressive Ricoh Coliseum, horse and rider performances will showcase the best in equestrian sport; combining the thrill of competition with family entertainment in a package not found anywhere else.
Journey to Your Good Health
The Journey to Your Good Health Pavilion boasts an abundant bounty of locally grown food, as well as the latest trends in functional foods and food innovation. Freshly prepared samples from the Canada Food Guide are served, while registered dietitians are on-site to answer any questions you may have about the food we eat and how it affects - and benefits - our bodies.
The President's Choice® SuperDogs Show
Drawing huge crowds for every single one of its shows, The President's Choice® SuperDogs returns for the 90th. Whether you are five, or 85 these dancing and daredevil dogs will surely entertain. Several shows take place daily.
LOCATION, DATE AND TICKET PRICE DETAILS
| WHERE | The Ricoh Coliseum, The Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place | |||
| 100 Princes' Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario M6K 3C3 | ||||
| WHEN | Friday, November 2 - Sunday, November 11, 2012 | |||
| Friday, November 2 & Saturday, November 3 | 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. | |||
| Sunday, November 4 | 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. | |||
| Monday, November 5 to Saturday, November 10 | 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. | |||
| Sunday, November 11 | 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | |||
| ADMISSION | 2012 General Admission Ticket Prices - Note all prices below include HST | |||
| Adult | $20 / $18 before November 2 | |||
| Senior (60+) | $16 | |||
| Student/Youth (5-17) | $16 / $14 before November 2 | |||
| Children 4 and under | FREE | |||
| Family Pass for 4 (2 adult 2 children) | $44 / $42 before November 2 | |||
| Extra Family Member with Family Pass Ticket | $16 | |||
| School Group (elementary school) | $10 per student | |||
| School Group (high school) | $10 per student | |||
| School Group Chaperone | $6 | |||
| 2012 Horse Show Ticket Prices - Note all prices below include general admission | ||||
| HORSE SHOW TICKETS (SINGLE SEAT, ADULT, SENIOR, CHILD, YOUTH) | ||||
| RANGE FROM $38 TO $57; Royal Horse Show ticket prices depend on date and | ||||
| seat location. Horse Show tickets include admission to the grounds. | ||||
| Subscription tickets are also available. | ||||
| PURCHASING DETAILS | General Admission and Horse Show tickets can be purchased through www.royalfair.org, www.ticketmaster.ca, any Ticketmaster box office, the Ricoh Coliseum, or by calling Ticketmaster at 416-872-7777. |
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| Group ticket pricing available through THE Group Tix Company at 647-438-5559, or outside the GTA 1-866-447-7849. |
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| Discount general admission passes may be purchased in advance of The Royal online at www.royalfair.org |
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SOURCE: The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
For media requests, images or for more information contact:
FISHER AGENCY PR
Tiffany Fisher
P: 416 456 7650
E. [email protected]
Robbyn Walsh
P: 416 456 7331
E: [email protected]
TO OBTAIN MEDIA CREDENTIALS FOR THE ROYAL
Please visit www.RoyalFair.org / MEDIA
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