The Royal ready to bring farm life to the big city

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair takes place November 6-15, 2015 at Exhibition Place

TORONTO, Oct. 26, 2015 /CNW/ - With  an expanded lineup of competitions, special events and family-focused entertainment, The 93^rd Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is gearing up to bring country life to Canada's largest city from November 6-15, 2015.

The Royal is the world's largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show. The 10-day event showcases the best in local food, features agriculture and equine-inspired entertainment and allows visitors to have a "hands on" experience with farm animals.

"The Royal celebrates Canadian agriculture through a variety of fun, interactive experiences," says Charlie Johnstone, Chief Executive Officer of The Royal. "We've made sure to not only maintain but improve the traditional features visitors have loved for years. We've also introduced new ways to engage the public with farm animals and the food we eat."

Highlights for The Royal's 2015 season include:

• The first 1,000 visitors on opening day will receive a free mini-butter tart made by 2014 Royal Champion Betty's Pies and Tarts of Cobourg, Ont.
• Visitors who attend the opening ceremony on Friday, November 6th at noon will have a chance to sample a new Canadian-bred pear.
• More than 5,000 animals will be on display including beef and dairy cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and fancy birds - all competing for the title of Royal Champion.
• The President's Choice Animal Theatre will showcase the talents and contributions that working animals make to our lives with 10 hours of programming daily, including President's Choice Superdogs, Goats on the Go, Spirit of the Horse, 4-H rabbit jumping, sheep herding and Jack Russell races.
• Amber Marshall, star of CBC Television's Heartland, will return to The Royal to meet fans and sign autographs on Saturday, November 7^th.
• New this year – four "date night" events on Monday through Thursday 6pm -11pm. Audience participation is a must at the Craft Beer Competition on Monday, November 9; Art Battle Live painting competition runs on Tuesday, November 10; Champions Day where the public can sample Royal winners in wine, cheese and preserves happens Wednesday, November 11; and the Ontario Cider Awards will be held on Thursday, November 12.
• Remembrance Day at The Royal on Wednesday, November 11 will be an all-day tribute to Canadian service men and women. Learn about the key role horses and dogs played in our military efforts. Take in the Culinary Historian's presentation on entertaining in the Roaring Twenties.
• The Burnbrae Farms Food & Lifestyle Stage will play host to 10 full days of food competitions and presentations including the Egg Farmers of Ontario Road to the Royal Chef Challenge and The Royal's International Invitational Chef Challenge. Don't miss special performances by Next Generation Leahy and their spectacular Irish dancing.
• The a-MAZE-ing Food Journey encourages families to "play with their food" as they explore the path food takes from farm to table. Kids and parents can discover the sights, sounds, textures and even smells of what we eat. A highlight of the MAZE this year is New Millennium Farms revolution in insect farming where guests will have a chance to learn about cooking with crickets.
• The Royal Horse Show, ranked North America's No. 1 indoor equine competition, has been selected as the premier venue by Equine Canada for all national championships. Crowd favourite competitions include The Greenhawk Canadian Show Jumping Championship, Longines FEI World Cup, The Royal Invitational Dressage Cup, Horseware Eventing Challenge, Ontario Toyota Dealers Rodeo, Weston Canadian Open and the Big Ben Challenge presented by Hudson's Bay.
• Several national livestock competitions will take place at The Royal including the Masterfeeds Supreme Beef Show, Quality Seeds Supreme Dairy Champion, National Limousin Show, National Black and White Holstein Show, TD Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic and the East National Dairy and Meat Goat Shows.

"The Royal has been celebrating its agricultural roots for nearly a century and we continue to stay relevant with today's audiences by delivering a mix of world-class competitions, family entertainment and agricultural education," Johnstone says.

With more than one million square feet of displays and competition facilities, The Royal welcomes more than 300,000 visits annually. In 2014, The Royal delivered an economic benefit of $40 million to the City of Toronto.

To get a sense of what's in store at The Royal 2015, check out this video preview.

Funding support for The Royal has been provided by the City of Toronto and the Government of Ontario.

About The Royal:

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is the world's largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show.  This year, the 93rd Royal Agricultural Winter Fair runs November 6-15, 2015 at Exhibition Place, Toronto. For competition schedules, live webcasting, results and to purchase tickets, please visit www.royalfair.org.

SOURCE Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Courtney Charette, Public Relations Coordinator, 63 Church Street | Suite 203 | St. Catharines, ON, Canada | L2R 3C4, Main: 905.682.7203 ext. 222, Direct: 905.346.1231, Cell: 905.329.0391, F: 905.682.7481, E: [email protected], W: www.enterprisecanada.com