Since 1922, The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has been at the heart of the cultural fabric of the city of Toronto. Bringing the country to the city, The Royal enables people of all ages to experience rural life through interactions with live farm animals, feature programming designed to increase our understanding about local agriculture and food production, opportunities to discover new local food products and culinary experiences, and engaging entertainment that places animals, front and center.

Each year, The Royal typically registers over 200,000 visits during its 10-day event in November.  The Royal hosts more than 5,000 animals as part of The Royal’s livestock and horse competitions, educational demonstrations, and feature entertainment. Over 200 competitions are held for Canadian produced agriculture food products, such as, cheese, butter, honey, and maple syrup.

The Royal’s agriculture and equine competitions attract participants from rural areas across Canada and the United States. During The Royal, these rural communities are brought together, which facilitates business connections between communities. Participating in the agriculture and equestrian competitions at The Royal is a significant annual event for farmers and equestrians from across Ontario and across all age groups.

Attendees are given the opportunity learn about rural communities and where their food comes from, including local food, farming and innovations in agriculture and food production that support sustainability efforts. The Royal typically hosts upwards of 12,000 students from elementary school to post-secondary, as well as special needs learning institutions. The Royal offers educational programming that meets Ontario curriculum requirements for grades 1 through 12.