Wednesday was the Agricultural Show, where thousands of people beat a path to Lower Valley.
There were markets, crafts, performers and livestock to see, with possibly even more attendees this time around, trying to get the inside track on some reasonably priced local eggs. Who would have thought that gold bars and diamond necklaces in safety deposit boxes would be replaced by a dozen free-range browns? People said we were crazy to feed our chickens, but now we’re livin’ high on the hog (conveniently forgetting what feed costs, of course).
Growing up in Cayman, events like the Ag Show were ringed in red on the calendar. Without exactly confirming my age, you have to remember that back then, television was not available on the island. It was either live music and theatre or the radio that kept us entertained most of the time, so special festivals were a real break from the everyday.
I was actually looking back at a past Compass article from 2019 about the history of the show, because as I searched through the fog of my brain, I was trying to recall the various locations it had occupied until settling at the grounds in Savannah. Funnily enough, in that same article, George Smith – president of the Cayman Agricultural Society – talked about relying more on local farmers over imports, and noted the success of Cayman’s egg production. Seems the man was being more prophetic than he may have realised at the time. The Nostradamus of arable lands, as it were.
Hard to believe, but the Ag Show started in 1963 behind the George Town Public Library. It then moved to Smith Road, followed by the Lions Centre. I think the latter is the most familiar to me. I’d swear they had competitions for the kids, and I may or may not have got up on stage to participate because I can’t say “no” to any chance to perform.
Beyond being dazzled by the sight of a real, live cow up close and personal, there was lots that we children enjoyed. For starters, we’d see all our friends from school and our parents would chat with their parents. Different stalls offered a range of activities, and we’d take our pocket money along to spend at one of the food or white elephant stalls. It was a really social occasion.
You may think that people only attended in their hundreds in the ‘90s, but not so. Apparently about 6,000 showed up in 1993 – a turnout any concert promoter would be happy to see.
Over the years, there have been float parades, horse riding demonstrations, and lots of music. Farmers have eagerly awaited the judges’ decisions on their prize produce or animals while home cooks stock up on fresh vegetables. It’s just always had a great sense of community.
The same can be said of similar events that have been happening for decades. How about the school fair fundraisers? The two things that absolutely stick in my mind from those was the hula hoop competitions (when they were all the rage) and I was actually very good at hooping, and the infuriating wire loop game.
After making the finals of the hula hoop and it was between me and this other girl, the whole thing was dragging out so long, my mother said she’d give me something like a dollar to pack it in. That’s probably like $1,000 in today’s money. But no, I could not be bought. I was so close to winning, I could taste it!
Well, I came in second. The hoop started to drop and I couldn’t bring it back up again. I was gracious in defeat, while trying to accept the loss of that dollar. When I think of the number of times I yell “TAKE THE DEAL!!” at the ‘Deal or No Deal’ contestant on the TV screen when they are being offered vast sums of money that could all disappear if they choose the wrong case. Yet, I couldn’t take my own advice when my waist was numb from hooping, the sun was beating down relentlessly, and I was being given a monetary way out.
Does anyone else here remember that wire loop game? Before PlayStation, iPads and VR goggles, our goal was to get a small wire loop, attached to a handle, to run around a thick wire sculpture that resembled a vomit-inducing rollercoaster ride. (Do Google it if my description is below par.) You had to keep your hand so steady as you tried to navigate tight corners and curves, and if your loop touched the inner wire, it buzzed very loudly. You would be concentrating so hard on the task, usually holding onto that handle with both hands, that the buzz was really jarring. I shot up like a rocket every time.
Like many carnival games, it looked deceptively easy, yet was anything but. I don’t think in all the years I gave it a go (and I could not resist its siren call) I never made it to the end. My hands always started shaking around the third hairpin bend.
Upon writing this, I did a bit of research online. Unbelievably, giant versions of the game exist that can sit on a lawn and maybe need two people to operate. The buzz on those things must be ear-splitting.
I must order one.
Times have changed a lot since the early days of the Ag Show, school fetes and the Pink Ladies Bazaar, but it’s so wonderful to see that they still continue to feature on Cayman’s calendar. Because, as we worry about losing the culture and camaraderie of the islands, such well-attended events can remind us that the community still loves to come together and spend time connecting as in years past.
Plus, you can’t beat the cheap eggs.
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