Anyone wanting to get into Manitoba Ag Days 2022 will have to pay for the privilege.
Canada’s largest indoor farm show will be charging visitors admission for the first time, the organization confirmed on Twitter Nov. 11. Advance tickets are set at $15 per day, while visitors at the door can expect a $20 charge.
Manitoba Ag Days general manager Kristen Phillips said there will be three things needed for admission: a ticket, proof of vaccination and identification.
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Only adult visitors will be charged admission, the show has said. Entry for youth 17 years old and under will remain free.
“Honestly, we’ve been discussing it for several years,” Phillips said. “We were the last farm show that was complimentary and it’s time… we are a valuable show and a value to the industry.”
In response to the post, many commenters voiced support (citing, among other things, past crowd sizes at the show) although a few worried that the charge would limit farmer participation.
Phillips, however, pointed to the small cost relative to other farm costs in a year, and argued for the benefit of a concentrated, one-stop shop for all things farming.
“We don’t have pots and pans or knives or houseware items at our show. We are 100 per cent pure farm,” she said. “If it has anything to do with ag, it’s going to be at our show.”
The show will run Jan. 18-20, 2022 at its normal venue, Brandon’s Keystone Centre. It will be the first time in two years that Manitoba Ag Days will be able to hold an in-person event, since the COVID-19 pandemic struck only weeks after the 2020 show wrapped up.
