Day 207 2015: All the fun of the fair...

Day 2017: ...or, Ekka in miniature

All my time in Brisbane, I've lived here on the southside. So many times, I've driven past the Mt Gravatt Showgrounds. A few times I've dropped in to see different sorts of exhibitions: antiques, art, dogs, curios and the like. And while I've always been aware of its status as a showground, and while I've always been aware of the Mt Gravatt Show, I've never managed to get to it. I guess, like many others, I mostly only have eyes for the Ekka (although that took a while given my childhood imprint of the Sydney Easter Show...a whole different level...). 

Anyway, dear reader, today I attended with my tai chi group to give a demonstration of the wonders of tai chi. I guess I jumped at the chance because...well, because I thought it would make me actually get myself there to check it out. Of course, I'm happy to help out with the group...plus, they were celebrating the 100th show, so that's got to be something, right?

And so it looked and felt like a scaled down version of its bigger cousin...and there were ice creams, dagwood dogs, fairly floss. And rides. 

Happy 100th MtG

Puppets, did I mention puppets?
<Old school>

Farm nursery

A taipan, as close as I'll get

Walking my alpaca...

Showbag pavilion truck

Sideshow alley

Arts and crafts

Colour

Rides for kids

And no show is complete without the Bertie Beetle bag...

All good fun. It was kind of intimate, and chintzy, all at once. And I bet everyone who entered all their crafts and cooking and art put just as much love and care into their works as people do for the Ekka. Plus, I'm lucky that I get to go to these things with my friend who also happens to be the person who co-authored the history of the Ekka. Bonus. I get all the fun and the historical context too. 

Now, on to the Ekka.

[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 75-300mm, 28-80mm, 3.35pm-4.34pm]