Sydney Royal Easter Show Traditions 2015

WHEN: 26 March - 8 April 2015

WHERE: Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park

Traditions

The Sydney Royal Easter Show is an important annual event for countless Australians in no small part thanks to the traditions and family favourites that can be found every year. These traditions have served to connect generations of showgoers and continue to strengthen the bond between the city and rural Australia.

District Exhibits

The uniquely Australian District Exhibit displays will climb up the walls of the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome providing a creative and colourful tapestry of the country’s best produce. This year, the District Exhibit displays will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC Gallipoli landing by recognising ANZAC men and women in the artworks.

The District Exhibit competition consists of five regions that represent Southern, Northern, Western, Central NSW and South East Queensland. The exhibits are the end result of a year of hard work by passionate agriculturalists, farmers and volunteers, who plan, source, collect, design and install the spectacular constructions for pre-Show judging. More than 10,000 pieces of fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, wool and other produce are used to create each exhibit.

Fresh produce from each region is available for purchase every day at the front of each District Exhibit. On the last day, there will also be a sale of the produce from 3.30pm-5.30pm offering showgoers the chance to grab a bargain and support Australian farmers. 

When: Daily
Daily: Woolworths Fresh Food Dome

CWA Tea Room

Nothing says Australian country hospitality like the Country Women's Association Tearoom at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. 

If it's the aroma of freshly baked scones and piping-hot tea pulling in reams of showgoers, it's the warmth of the CWA ladies serving up delicious treats with jam and free cream. Take a tea stop at this traditional favourite. 

When: Daily
Where: Arts and Crafts Pavillion

Grand Parade

The Grand Parades celebrate the best-of-the-best in agriculture at the Show. The three parades showcase competition winners, including animals, producers and champion woodchoppers in a procession around Spotless Stadium. 

The first Grand Parade was held in 1907 and has been a Show favourite ever since. Don't miss the opportunity to cheer on the best that Australia agriculture has to offer and be part of one of the Show's richest traditions. 

When: 
Saturday March 28 at 5.25pm
Tuesday March 31 at 4.20pm
Friday April 3 at 4.15pm

Arts and Craft

The Sydney Royal Arts & Crafts Show has been a feature of the Sydney Royal Easter Show almost continuously since 1869. It is the biggest Arts & Crafts Competition in Australia, attracting over 4,500 entries, across almost 300 classes. Entries include portraits, rural landscapes, photographs, sculptures, pottery, cake decorating, silverwork, sugar art and more, all of which are on display in the pavilion throughout the Show. New classes this year include Digital Artwork, Woven Tapestry and Lace.

Leather work will be the Feature Display in the Arts & Crafts Pavilion at the 2015 Show. Showgoers can see amazing demonstrations of craftsmanship that goes in to creating saddles, corsets, belts, whips and bags.

Visitors to the pavilion should not miss the Standard of Excellence Cabinet, featuring the ‘best of the best’ from the craft sections, and the hotly-contested Perishable Cooking Competition on 26 March at 1pm.

When: Daily 9.30am-8.30pm
Where: Arts and Crafts Pavilion 

Woodchop

The Sydney Royal Woodchopping & Sawing Competition has been a feature of the Sydney Royal Easter Show for over a century. Attracting over 220 male and female competitors from Australia and overseas who compete in 65 different classes, this is the only Show competition that is also a World Titles event. It is for this reason that the Sydney Royal Woodchop Competition is widely recognised as the ‘Wimbledon of Woodchopping’.

The 2015 competition will feature increased prize money for all 5 World Championship events, and a new Veteran Teams Relay between NSW and Tasmania for axemen over 60 years of age.

Do not miss these World Championship events:

• The Manny McCarthy Memorial 375mm World Championship Underhand - Saturday 4 April 2:10pm
• 375mm World Championship Standing Block – Monday 6 April 2.40pm
• 325mm World Championship Tree Felling Contest – Friday 3 April 3pm
• 375mm World Championship Sawing Contest (Single handed) – Saturday 28 March 12.30pm
• 600mm World Championship Sawing Contest (Double handed) – Sunday 29 March 1.30pm

Woodchop will also feature every night in Spotless Stadium from 7.30pm as part of the all-new Woodchop Showcase.

When: Friday 27 March – Monday 6 April 2015, from 9am

Where: Channel 9 Woodchop Stadium

Showgirl

Every year, The Land Sydney Royal Showgirl Competition shines the spotlight on the brightest young women across country NSW. The event attracts high-calibre competitors who display confidence, rural knowledge, ambition and a passion to represent country Australia and has made a significant contribution to the advancement of women in regional and rural areas ever since the first Showgirl crown was awarded to Margaret Mackay of Dungog in 1962.

More than 500 women enter each year in the hope of becoming a young female ambassador for rural NSW. Brodie Chester from Bega, NSW, was selected as the winner of the 2014 competition over 16 finalists. The winner, who will become an ambassador to promote the Sydney Royal Easter Show and the agricultural show movement across NSW, will be announced at the conclusion of the event.

When: Sunday March 29 at 2pm
Where: Big Top Amphitheatre

Rodeo

The country’s best Bull Riders, Steer Wrestlers, Bareback Riders and Barrel Racers will be performing each night as part of the Sydney Royal Rodeo Series. Rodeo will feature a National Allstars competition comprised of the 2014 and 2015 top-ranked riders in the country, as well as a rookie wildcard for each competition over two nights.

When: Every evening from 6.30pm
Where: Spotless Stadium

Flower and Garden

Judging of the Sydney Royal Flower & Garden Show takes place every second day of the Show, with a new competition with different varieties of flower and plants judged, that then stay on display for the day after judging. Flowers are judged on their condition, colour, freshness and overall presentation.  New this year is the NSW & ACT Dahlia Championships, which will be judged on Good Friday, 3 April.

Showgoers can also purchase or order flowers to be sent anywhere within Australia, at the Florist Shop in the pavilion.

Kids can take part in the Flora Kulchas activities, dress a scarecrow at the Scarecrow activity, or try their hand at planting seeds at the Little Diggers activity outside the pavilion. 

When: 9.30am-8.30pm. Judging from 8am every second day of Show.
Where: Flower and Garden Pavilion

Source: http://www.eastershow.com.au/explore/Show-Traditions.aspx