THE 54th Walkerville Agricultural Show, held on April 9 and 10 at the Walkerville Showgrounds, proved to be a success. There were over 100 stalls at the show which is a vital component of the new Walkerville Meander country escape.
Gavin Grgurin, chairman of Gauteng Rabbit Breeders Association, and Garreth Ladeira were the organisers of the exceptional livestock section that was even bigger than last year.
According to the event organiser, Pauline Kaufmann, the Greater Walkerville Meander has been developed by the Walkerville Chamber of Commerce as a way of promoting local business and places of interest for visitors to the area with the aim of putting Walkerville on the map as a fun and exciting place to visit and to draw people into the area.
Watch what the Walkerville Agricultural Show looks like: https://youtu.be/d5hwKp1rRyg
Another addition to this year’s show was the involvement of VCR Media House who handled the stage and live entertainment on both days. 90.6 FM Radio had their outside broadcast unit making live crossings all weekend and handled the programme of events and announcements.
“The main thing we wanted to improve on was the growth in the livestock section, as the name implies ‘Walkerville Agricultural Show’, we are aiming at increasing the livestock every year until we become a major event on the agricultural, livestock, farming calendar,” said Kaufmann.
The six specialist catering stalls were extremely popular and coped well with the large numbers of visitors and catered for all tastes. The craft beer stall which is gaining popularity will be back next year.
Watch the dog handlers at the Agricultural Show:
The show included prize rabbits, show poultry, local and international sheep breeds, goats, cattle, pigs and birds as well as camel, horse and pony rides.
The Gauteng Conservancy gave the public a chance to meet live snakes and other reptiles. Children met Ronald McDonald, bid at their own auction and had their faces painted before tackling the Rocket and Paintball Tunnel.
A brief history
The first local Agricultural Show, which ran as a Farmers’ Market in Homestead Apple Orchards in 1948, became so popular that it soon became an annual event with entries coming from all over the country.
From 1973 the society ran shows at the newly purchased Southern Transvaal Showgrounds, until, for the first time, the Agricultural Show failed to make a profit in 1976. It seemed that the locals were no longer that interested in livestock.
Sporadic shows were held over the next few years. They were small, intimate country fairs for people who enjoyed country life, small farming and outdoor living.
The final market, the 50th Golden Jubilee Show, ended on a high note in 1998.
In 2013, with the help of the Walkerville Chamber of Commerce, the Walkerville Agricultural Show was revived. The new format strives to combine the home craft exhibitions and livestock with great music and activities for the whole family.
