The Ministry of Public Works is pleased to host the 83rd Bermuda Annual Exhibition (the AG Show). The AG Show is an annual three-day event held at the Botanical Gardens in Paget. The dates for the 2024 event will be April 18th - 20th.
The Annual Exhibition is the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Works and the Department of Parks, with a mandate to: “Promote the study of agriculture; disseminate information regarding the techniques of agriculture and horticulture and promote or hold agricultural exhibitions.”
The Department of Parks wishes to inform participants and interested parties that the deadline for entry applications for the Annual Agricultural Exhibition was on 22 March 2024. The department is grateful for the overwhelming interest and enthusiasm shown by all the applicants this year.
History:
The first Agricultural Exhibition was held in 1843 at Mount Langton, Pembroke. Governor Reid arranged the show to stimulate interest in local Agriculture. This same year, ploughing was first introduced to Bermuda. The farm horse class in the Annual Exhibition required horses to use the plough until 1992.
The Agricultural Exhibition did not become an annual event until 1955. Before this time, the show was held bi-annually and even cancelled in 1934.
The Agricultural Exhibition was first held in the Botanical Gardens in 1922, where it continues to be hosted to this day. Over the years, the Annual Exhibition has seen many changes, yet it continues to be one of the most important and widely anticipated events on Bermuda’s cultural calendar.
In the 21st century, the Bermuda Annual Exhibition is an icon of Bermuda tradition. This event has the mandate to provide an educational and fun environment to embrace its agricultural heritage by providing a venue for local residents to display livestock, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, woodcraft, floriculture and educational displays.
The Government of Bermuda succeeded Ag Show Ltd. in late January 2023, to manage the event, bringing the show under Government control for the first time in recent years.
Through the Department of Parks, the Ministry’s aim was to gradually bring the show back, and as such, last year’s event was not a full-scale exhibit.
