Royal Agricultural Winter Fair
| Royal Agricultural Winter Fair | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Winter agricultural fair |
| Dates | Early November |
| Location(s) |
Toronto, Ontario Exhibition Place |
| Founded | 1922 |
| Patron(s) | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Website | |
| www.royalfair.org | |
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, colloquially called the Royal, is an annual fall fair in Toronto, Canada, which takes place over two weeks in November. It was inaugurated in 1922 in the Coliseum, on the grounds of Exhibition Place. It has expanded to also take up the Enercare Centre and remains an important exhibit for breeders. Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, is the fair's royal patron. Members of the Canadian Royal Family have also been guests of honour at the fair.
Following the First World War, a group of farmers led by W.A. Dryden, from Brooklin, Ontario, sought to create a national agricultural exhibition, partly to set national standards for the judging of domestic animals. Together, they formed the Agricultural Winter Fair Association of Canada and quickly received, in 1920, permission from King George V for use of the prefix royal.
In 1920, the City of Toronto approved the construction of a new live stock arena on the Toronto Exhibition Grounds to house the new fair and other uses. Plans called for the first mounting of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair to take place in 1921, but this was delayed when a heating system for the new arena could not be installed in time. The first show thus opened on 22 November 1922, drawing to its livestock competitions 17,000 entries from several provinces and the United States. The fair then, save for the years when Canada was embroiled in the Second World War, consistently provided for farmers a forum to display equipment, discuss new trends, and showcase wares.
In 1965, significant changes were introduced by the federal Department of Agriculture, which had been a longtime sponsor of the Royal. Both the number of livestock classes for each breed and the number of entries per breeder were reduced; new judging standards were set, emphasising the utility of the breed; buildings were renovated; and the Winter Garden Show and Horse Show were given more prominence, the latter attracting some 75,000 viewers.
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