The 175th annual Peterborough Exhibition has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic — but exhibitors will still be able to show their animals online through a virtual version of the event.
On Tuesday (May 26), the board of the Peterborough Agricultural Society announced the decision to shift the event, originally scheduled to take place in early August at Morrow Park, to a virtual version.
“Although the pandemic has forced us to postpone the Ex as we know it, there is an increased interest in agriculture,” says board president Victoria McEldon. “People are once again looking at farming with great interest. We want to help foster and celebrate that.”
The virtual event will allow some exhibitors to show their animals through video and photos, which will be uploaded for judging. The poultry and open horse show will move online, as well as the market steer and lamb show and sale.
Other exhibits such as the beef show, homecraft, sheep, and commercial horse and goat shows will be featured through a series of agriculture education videos and online content as part of the virtual event.
“We are excited about this new, re-imagined event and look forward to a time when we can safely bring people together to celebrate our 175th anniversary,” McEldon says.
Registration for the virtual exhibition will open later in the summer and producers are encouraged to check the Peterborough Exhibition website at peterboroughex.ca for updates.
