Next Thursday, the annual agricultural and industrial exhibition opens in Gozo for Santa Marija – Wirja tal-Biedja u Snajja. This years marks its 170th anniversary.

This year this popular exhibition will be held on Thursday and Friday the 14th and 15th of August and is expected to attract thousands of visitors over the two days.

The venue is the beautiful Villa Rundle Gardens in Victoria, where visitors of all ages will be able to experience traditional Gozitan sights and sounds.

Always a major attraction during the Santa Marija Feast, the show has been taking place on the island since 1855, is organised by by the Agrarian, Industrial and Cultural Society of Gozo, which first founded from its office in Strada Pieta, now named Mons Guzeppi Farrugia Street, located in Victoria.

In years gone by, the 15th of August was when farmers were due to pay their farming land lease – qbiela – and is now the firm date of this Gozo Agrarian Show.

There will be more than 4,000 exhibits on display to the public, including produce, livestock, poultry, vegetables, song birds and farm machinery.

This traditional show is the opportunity for local farming families to proudly present their produce and livestock for everyone to see.

Gozo’s artisan work and crafts, produce, locally produced wines, oil and honey are showcased during the exhibition.

On Thursday, the 14th of August, the first day of the show, the official inauguration takes place at 10am, when the show opens to the public.

There will be static exhibitions of crafts, fruit and vegetables, birds and poultry. There will also be dog and rabbit shows. Between 8pm and 11pm, there will be an evening of traditional ghana withe the participation of local folk singers and guitarists. The show closes at 11pm.

Then on Thursday, the 15th, the show opens at 7am to the public with a number of exhibitions and competitions getting underway relating to the animals. The awards ceremony takes place at 11am with the presentation of trophies and cash prizes to the best exhibit in each of the categories. The show comes to a close at 1pm.

Entrance is free of charge.

File Photograph: Gozo News/Alain Salvary

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