The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is not over. I repeat, it is not over. The fair and horse show extend over two weekends and it runs until this Sunday, Nov. 10. Here are 10 good reasons to check out one of the city's best annual events before it is too late. Word to the wise, parking is a serious headache, especially Saturday afternoon. Skip the crush of cars at Exhibition Place and opt for far less stressed out conditions across the street at one of the old Ontario Place lots. You can thank us later.
1. How soft is an Alpaca? The answer, very. Get up close (sort of, there's a fence) with more than 60 friendly and child-sized farm animals.
2. Step up your gourmet game. The Royal is teaming with food aficionados ranging from organic farmers to top chefs to purveyors of every jam, jelly, syrup, and preserve under the sun. More than 400 lbs. of cheese are on hand every day to be paired with a samples of champion wines at the daily "cinq a sept" events (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.)
3. Shopping. Browse a wide variety of unique items that have never seen the inside of a mall from the hundreds of vendors. For children, the hot spot appears to be the teddy bear shack near the petting farm offering up cuddly creatures with names emblazoned on cute dresses. Also available at said shack, customizable dog scarves and other items. Busy place.
4. Take in a show at the President's Choice Animal Theatre. Pet lovers will enjoy the President's Choice SuperDogs and the Spirit of the Horse show. This weekend, the schedule even includes rabbit jumping. Keep in mind, especially on the final weekend, the shows are seriously busy. If you can't handle lining up for 30 minutes at least, you might not want to bother.
5. One way to avoid the crushing lineup fatigue that could be heading your way at the Animal Theatre, while still sitting down to a good show involving some type of four-legged creature, is to head over to Ricoh Coliseum to take in some of the Horse Show. These are ticketed events, as opposed to the free Animal Theatre offerings, but it might just be worth the price of admission. This weekend features the Ricoh Big Ben Challenge on Nov. 9 as well as other top competitions.
6. Eating. Enjoy a hearty lunch at the food court. Beaver tails, loaded baked potatoes, and plenty of offerings from Toronto food trucks. Check out the tiny India food table for some delicious, authentic fare sans lineups and the steamies truck. Mmm steamies.
7. Drinking. Enjoy a selection of award-winning VQA wines and Ontario craft brews at The Royal Vineyard & Brewhouse. We recommend the flight of three sample-sized pints for $8. For a more sober offering, sit down to high tea at The Royal Winter Gallery and Cafe. Remember to extend your pinky so as not to offend the gentry.
8. Horses are powerful and majestic creatures, but what are they thinking? With the exception of Mr. Ed, we're basically left in the dark. Not anymore! Lauren Bode says she can communicate with both horses and dogs. Watch her demonstrate her uncanny ability to interpret the minds of our equine and canine friends this weekend. At the very least, you'll walk away with an interesting story to share.
9. Did somebody say butter sculptures? Think Michelangelo's David, but with more calories, and in gallery that smells mildly like a barn. Toronto art students have been working all week to transform 25 kg. of butter their personal masterpieces. Last year's butter sculpture of Mayor Rob Ford was pretty impressive. Right?
10. Fudge. If you don't like fudge, you may have no soul.
