The Royal Melbourne Show was the highlight of my year as a child. My brother and I would have circled the showbags we wanted from the newspaper’s Show Guide – never missing out on the Bertie Beetle bag – and be bursting with excitement about the day’s adventure. The photographs taken each year of us in the Animal Nursery are among our most treasured for capturing a moment in time. At the Show I feel like a kid again – but it’s quite surreal that I’ll be taking my own children to the showgrounds this year. And I can’t wait.
The Show is Victoria’s largest annual community event celebrating Victorian agriculture and attracting more than 450,000 visitors. It starts this year on Saturday, September 17 to Tuesday, September 27.
Don’t forget the Bertie Beetle showbag!
Conducted by The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, this year’s Royal Melbourne Show will give visitors more opportunities than ever to see and interact with animals, take part in fun, hands-on activities for families, indulge in award-winning food and be thrilled by the attractions.
So much to see at the Show
In addition to the popular Jayco Animal Nursery, where visitors can meet, pat and feed 500 lambs, kids, piglets and chicks, the outdoor animal display has doubled in size and will be home to sheep, cows, goats, alpacas, horses, pigs and more. Due to popularity, the animal attraction viewing area has also increased in size offering more families the chance to watch and take part in interactive milking and shearing shows as well as horse demonstrations.
Pre-purchase ride tickets to save 30 per cent
For foodies the Winning Tastes Pavilion will be the first stop. It will offer a taste of the city’s diverse food scene with pop-up restaurants and eateries including Bomba, Mr Claws and Pho Nom, while Mr Miyagi, Royale Brothers Burgers and Burn City Smokers will be serving up their signature dishes.
Sweet treats from Bibelot, Le Petit Gateau and LuxBite will be on rotation over the 11 days and Gelato Messina will be offering some new flavours inspired by the Show.
The Art, Craft and Cookery Pavilion will let you get hands-on with activities designed to inspire creativity.
Witness hundreds of animals on the arena for the Grand Cattle Parade on Saturday, September 24 and the Grand Cattle Parade of Champions on Monday, September 26.
Nightly fireworks will cap off your big day out.
The Show is the ultimate family day out
The Show will be open 10am-9pm. There are savings of up to 25 per cent on tickets and 30 per cent on rides by pre-purchasing tickets early at royalshow.com.au
The 2016 Royal Melbourne Show is a smokefree event.
See you there!
Pop on over to the MillieMummyMelbourne Instagram page to find out how to win a family pass to this year’s Show.