The Show - do you go every year?

[Columbo]

Went last saturday and going again this saturday...two weekends without the Eags having a saturday game.

Spent about 8 1/2 hours there last weekend, aside from the tickets to get in dont think i spent much more than about $80. Im not into the rides or showbags (only got a bertie beetle mega bag..lol), spent about an hour wandering around the cows and horses, then watched the woodcutting for an hour, then into the arena to watch the parade and precision driving and super x stunts for an hour and half or so then into the pavillions...unfortunately left my showbag purchasing til last and dont think ive ever seen so many people in the hall.

Have to agree with wedgie about the prams...they need to be banned from the showbag hall (no offence to anyone here with small people) but it was like North Tce at 5pm Friday in that hall, total gridlock and at the head of all of the queues were prams bumper to bumper.

Looking forward to getting back there again saturday arvo to battle the prams yet again!

[Hondo]

Sorry Colombo but we are one of those pram families. If you have a better idea of how to handle toddlers and babies then I am all ears. Ban prams from the hall and you ban the parents too! Yes, they are a pain for those without them but it is a family event at the end of the day.

Honestly, if you want to avoid prams in showbag hall don't go there when every single family is getting show bags .. ie, the end of the day! 4pm - 6pm would be the worst time. We walked around that Hall at 1pm and most stands had staff twiddling their thumbs. Hardly anyone in there at all.

Go on some rides or get a pass out and go back at 8.00pm. Or you can hire lockers for $2 or pay $5 or so to get bags minded for the day so you could get them first thing and pick them up at the end. Even the pram families could follow that advice. The only problem is that kids then want to go straight home.

[Wedgie]

Pram people should get their showbags early when its empty as they have something to hang them on, ie THEIR PRAMS!
When we used to have a pram at the show we'd make sure we stayed out of others way and get the adult not minding the pram to shoot into the pavillion and grab the show bags. All the prams I saw in there had at last 2 adults with them (usually 3 or 4!) and the poor kids looked scared silly and couldn't see a thing anyway. Some of the ferals in the showbag pavillion were using their prams like battering rams!

Surely one day which be elected as pram free out of 10 wouldn't be too much to ask for? One day!

[Felch]

Im with you Hondo, i have been a pram-pusher for the last few years and there just isnt any other way to get around the show with small kids.

The show is suppose to be for kids, and its a family event. If adults dont like the prams, don't go then. I try to be as courteous as possible when moving through a crowd and most people are ok, but some people have NFI - they are wandering around in there own little world. These are the same people who stand up in front of kids at the stage performances at the show no doubt. FFS, why would an adult want to stand up to see the Hooley-Dooleys, or whatever they are ??? They seem oblivious to anyone trying to see the show behind them. I had a huge arguement with a woman last year, who was blocking the view of about a dozen kids, by standing up in the middle of the crowd when everyone else was sitting down.

How about instead of pram-free days, we have 'idiot-free' days...

[Wedgie]

How about instead of pram-free days, we have 'idiot-free' days...

You've won me there.

[Psyber]

Nah, Felch, the show is supposed to be an Agricultural & Horticultural event run by the RA&HS, and the side-shows and show bags were a sop to the masses.
Unfortunately, because of the money they make from the fiscally foolish, they are taking over, and soon the Adelaide Show will become as poor and uninteresting as as Melbourne's.

I've been every day and haven't gone into the side-show or show bag sections.
I'd like them to fence off the rides and show bag hall and let people in there free, then charge them if they want to come into the real show..

[Lightning McQueen]

I'm getting out of work early today and taking the kids, they have no idea, the look on their faces when we arrive will be worth it.

[whufc]

I'm getting out of work early today and taking the kids, they have no idea, the look on their faces when we arrive will be worth it.

Good work, i remember when i was young and my parents did that, it was one of the greatest surprises i ever had.

[Felch]

Nah, Felch, the show is supposed to be an Agricultural & Horticultural event run by the RA&HS, and the side-shows and show bags were a sop to the masses.
Unfortunately, because of the money they make from the fiscally foolish, they are taking over, and soon the Adelaide Show will become as poor and uninteresting as as Melbourne's.

I've been every day and haven't gone into the side-show or show bag sections.
I'd like them to fence off the rides and show bag hall and let people in there free, then charge them if they want to come into the real show..

Its supposed to be, but its not. My kids dont say 'Dad, can we go to the Agricultural and Horticultural extravaganza this year?'

I totally agree with you though, and its kind of ironic that the parts of the show that are the more 'traditional' sections are very easy to get around in with a pram or pusher, and kids in tow.

[Mic]

Im with you Hondo, i have been a pram-pusher for the last few years and there just isnt any other way to get around the show with small kids.

The show is suppose to be for kids, and its a family event. If adults dont like the prams, don't go then. I try to be as courteous as possible when moving through a crowd and most people are ok, but some people have NFI - they are wandering around in there own little world. These are the same people who stand up in front of kids at the stage performances at the show no doubt. FFS, why would an adult want to stand up to see the Hooley-Dooleys, or whatever they are ??? They seem oblivious to anyone trying to see the show behind them. I had a huge arguement with a woman last year, who was blocking the view of about a dozen kids, by standing up in the middle of the crowd when everyone else was sitting down.

How about instead of pram-free days, we have 'idiot-free' days...

That will be on Saturday night when the Crows are playing.

[Lightning McQueen]

I'm getting out of work early today and taking the kids, they have no idea, the look on their faces when we arrive will be worth it.

Good work, i remember when i was young and my parents did that, it was one of the greatest surprises i ever had.

Cheers mate, the 6 year old has some idea of what's at the show and has been doing the hard sell all week and been on her best behavior, the 4 year old seems to think that this show thing sounds alright.
My old man used to do this sort of stuff aswell, makes it more memorable. I've got my stickers to put inside the kids clothing with our mobile numbers on them incase they get lost, another one of his ideas.

[whufc]

I'm getting out of work early today and taking the kids, they have no idea, the look on their faces when we arrive will be worth it.

Good work, i remember when i was young and my parents did that, it was one of the greatest surprises i ever had.

Cheers mate, the 6 year old has some idea of what's at the show and has been doing the hard sell all week and been on her best behavior, the 4 year old seems to think that this show thing sounds alright.
My old man used to do this sort of stuff aswell, makes it more memorable. I've got my stickers to put inside the kids clothing with our mobile numbers on them incase they get lost, another one of his ideas.

My old man did it to me in the early 90's to a day at the test cricket, told me we had to go find him a new pair of steel caps in the city only to end up at Adelaide Oval, was an awesome day.

[Dutchy]

We went last Friday, havent been there for 2 years and I swear the prices have doubled in most places, $50 to get the family in isnt a good start to the day, someone is making a hell of a whack.

The bloody sideshow people now jump on you like a Bali seller, some even come and step in front of you as you are walking along...FFS

The Kids had a great time but after being ~$300 lighter in the pocket Im quite looking forward not going next year and taking the kids back to the theme parks in Queensland, its cheaper and much more entertaining and the rides just dont compare...

[whufc]

We went last Friday, havent been there for 2 years and I swear the prices have doubled in most places, $50 to get the family in isnt a good start to the day, someone is making a hell of a whack.

The bloody sideshow people now jump on you like a Bali seller, some even come and step in front of you as you are walking along...FFS

The Kids had a great time but after being ~$300 lighter in the pocket Im quite looking forward not going next year and taking the kids back to the theme parks in Queensland, its cheaper and much more entertaining and the rides just dont compare...

Yeah just got back from the Gold Coast and did all the theme parks, thats we decided to give the show a miss this year it wouldn't compare.

[Gingernuts]

Went yesterday and the new layout with the new pavillion & more open spaces is much better. So much easier to get around, easy access to food and toilets, very good. Did baulk at the entry price though, thankfully we got there five minutes before the 'adults for children's prices' deal finished, so managed to sneak in for $12.50 each.

[Pseudo]

On the topic of prams in the showbag pavilion:

I took the elder Pseudomite to the show this morning. The last thing we did before leaving was duck into the showbag pavilion. Sure enough I almost bowled over some pram-pushing breeder who tried to occupy the same space-time coordinates as myself. I stopped abruptly and did the chivalrous thing, letting her go before me. She mouthed thanks and sheepishly pushed her pram forwards....

.. and in doing so, her neckline fell forwards just enough to give me a solid eyeful of what lay beneath. Including nipple.

All of a sudden I'm converted; I think prams in the showbag paviilon (and plunging necklines) should be mandatory!

It almost made up for the day's lowlight, which was when the Pseudomite wet her pants in the queue for the ferris wheel. And no, we had no spare pants or knickers.

[Hondo]

The prams are as much of a pain for the parents as they are for everone else let me assure you!

The only problem with getting show bags first thing (and this is main reason parents don't) is that the kids often then just want to go straight home or spend all day eating chocolate. Now, going home at 9.45am might be exactly what the non-pram people want ( ) but it's not really original plan! Obviously on warmer days having 5000 bags of chocolate in the pram all day = not a great idea anyway.

I don't have any solutions other than just don't go to the show bag hall at the pram-time witching hour! When we start to go all day I'd do exactly as Wedgie suggests and then store the bags in one of those $2 lockers all day. I wouldn't want to take a pram in there at 5pm either ... sounds like a nightmare. At the moment we are gone by 2pm at the latest so that time is still fine for show-bags.

Like Felch, we tried our best not to be a pain. We avoided the smaller halls with tight walkways out of courtesy. We also didn't get rude or pushy about it. I think there's an idiot minority in every group.

[Thiele]

Tip for next year buy your tickets at the Post Office before hand a little cheaper to get in

[Bully]

think the show is generally for kids now, i havent been for years now, but the cars on show are probably worth a visit

[Psyber]

Tip for next year buy your tickets at the Post Office before hand a little cheaper to get in

You might also check the cost of taking out membership of the RA&HS of SA.
They offered an annual membership package last time I looked and that gave access to the show every day and concessions like 2 tickets for the price of 1 for several other events at the show ground.
I worked out he increased fee for Life Membership was worth it over 10 years and I've certainly got my money's worth.
I have a member's pass, an adult guest pass and 2 children's passes each year for as long as I live..

Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA,
16 Goodwood Road
Wayville SA 5034
Phone (08) 8210 5211