Sydney Royal Easter Show

Easter is approaching, and Easter in Sydney means the Royal Easter Show is alive and well. 

The Royal Easter Show is Australia's largest annual event, with over 900,000 participants each year. Highlights of the Show (which U.S. natives may refer to as a "Fair," or "Carnival," include agricultural competitions, animal experiences, carnival fun, and shopping. Originating in 1823 by the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales - a not-for-profit organization that promotes and rewards agricultural excellence - the Show is as much of a tradition to attend during Easter in Sydney as taking pictures with Mall Santa during Christmas time. 

Partly because we wanted to experience this historical community event and partly because we were tired of answering "I'm not sure," when locals eagerly inquired if we would be attending, my coworker/friend and I purchased our tickets and, on a sunny Saturday morning, headed to Sydney Olympic Park to experience the phenomenon. 

Upon arrival, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Packed in tightly next to each other were Ferris wheels, miniature roller coasters, whack-a-moles, giant slides and other miscellaneous carnival-esque games, each booming music that conflicted with the other games' music, creating an overwhelming environment for an introvert such as myself. As my friend and I arrived at different entrances, I ventured inside and started making my way through the crowd. 

I was beginning to think that the Show catered to children, when I discovered that it, in fact, did. My entrance had placed me right in the "Kids' Fun Zone." Relieved that I hadn't just paid $40 for this mass chaos, I mosied through, seeking a way out and into any other "Zone," which would relieve me from this high-stress environment. I noticed a recurring theme in families that parents seemed to be having more fun watching their kids embark on rides and activities than the kids themselves were having. This is not to say the kids weren't having fun - they were having a blast - but parents of all ages seemed to be basking in watching their kids experience what they must remember as a highlight of their own childhoods. 

Soon I made my way outside of the "Kids' Fun Zone," met up with my friend, and we set off on our day. Finding ourselves in the agricultural section, we walked through rooms that showed us how crops are made, allowing us to write "Thank you" notes to farmers, as well as sample some fruits, such as persimmons, pineapple and papaya & lime (a delicious combination I never beford would have thought to consider). 

Further exploration of this section included rooms with livestock caged up for our enjoyment. Pigs, goats, chickens, and sheep all stood bored while patrons amusedly stared at them. I did not enjoy this part. While the zoo, for example, provides animals with as much stimulation as possible to keep them occupied, happy and thriving, these animals just sat in cages, waiting to be slaughtered.

In fact, animal cruelty seemed to be a large part of the Show. Upon exiting the livestock room, we heard sad, depressed moos of cows who, we discovered, were tied to fences on tiny chains that looped through piercings in their noses. If that image doesn't inspire you to buy free-range, I would kindly ask you to re-evaluate your priorities. 

Furthermore, my friend and I visited an event called "Horse show." We excitedly raced to the stadium and made it just in time to view the event from the beginning. I quickly became confused when I spotted grown men wriling up a cow in a small enclosure, and once it was jumping around, terrified, they opened a gate which let it out into the stadium floor. Confused, it awkwardly stood there until another grown man on a horse began to chase it. I watched the terror in its eyes as the man chased the cow at full speed, attempting to herd it through obstacles in the stadium. Once finished, the cow was taken somewhere outside; I imagine it wasn't getting many treats or a pet. Disgusted, we left after discovering what "Horse show" meant. How, I wonder, is intentionally terrifying, chasing, humiliating and belittling an animal not absolutely horrifying and disgusting to every single person - much less entertaining? I simply cannot wrap my head around the outrageous selfishness, where people think the world is their playground - and no one seems to be telling them otherwise. 

Fortunately, the Show was all uphill from there! Venturing out of the agricultural section, we wandered around a garden section, which featured beautiful bouquets that locals had created. We made our way to a dinosaur exhibit, and laughed as the teenage employees weren't sure whether to complete their task of scaring us or not (as the exhibit was set up for kids). We viewed stunning artwork that allowed us to daydream of winning the lotto and decorating our beachfront-homes in a future life. We ate a spectacular lunch of Hungarian quesadillas, and indulged in lavender ice cream for dessert. We rode the Ferris wheel, not realizing until it was too late that it was spinning at an incredible speed, and we both got motion sickness. We walked through a mall area and accepted an invitation to have our pictures taken, a publicity stunt for a local photography agency. It was a wonderful, relaxing, eventful second half of the day. 

The most popular event of the day seemed to be a wood chopping show that many locals had raved to us about, stating how it's a "Must see," so we made sure not to miss it. The event commenced and basically we watched grown men chopping wood to see who could cut through their block the fastest. While I personally didn't understand the hype in the slightest, I feigned excitement the next day when my local friends eagerly inquired as to how I enjoyed the popular event. 

My favorite show was, of all things, a car show, featuring various forms of entertainment. Cars riding on two wheels, BMX trick jumpers, one man from Texas blowing himself up in a box with six dynamite. ("His accent is more American than yours!" my friend stated.) It was great entertainment and the half-hour show was a welcomed rest break from the six hours of walking we had completed. 

All in all, another eventful day in Sydney!