PREPARATIONS for the Royal Welsh Winter Fair at the end of the month are now full steam ahead after the Welsh Government announced no new changes to coronavirus restrictions today (November 19).

In light of the Welsh Government's announcement that there will be no changes at this time, the Winter Fair plans will continue to move ahead for the two-day event, taking place on the Royal Welsh Showground just outside Builth Wells, on Monday and Tuesday, November 29 and 30.

With just over a week to go until the showground, in Llanelwedd, is once again full of visitors, exhibitors and superb livestock, the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society is looking forward to welcoming returning Winter Fair enthusiasts for its first major event since the 2019 Winter Fair.

First staged in 1990 and originally just a modest one-day event, the Winter Fair is now widely referred to as the finest prime stock show in Europe and has become well established as one of the most popular attractions on the British agricultural show calendar.

With hundreds of cattle, sheep, pig and horse entries and over £25,000 in prize money on offer, the stakes are set for a great couple of days’ worth of competitions.

This year’s Winter Fair will be officially opened by chairman of the council David Lewis in the Royal Welsh Exhibition Hall main ring on Monday at 10am.

Mr Lewis, from Llandysul, is well-known as a livestock auctioneer and breeder of Charolais cattle. In addition to being one of the society’s principal cattle commentators for over 40 years, he was Royal Welsh Show president in 2005 and has previously held the position of chairman of the board of directors. In 2017 he was awarded the society’s gold medal for his ongoing achievements and outstanding contribution.

Following the official opening will be the presentations of the John Gittins Memorial Award 2021, the RWAS Oxford Farming Conference Bursary 2022, the Nuffield Farming Scholarship 2022 and the CARAS Fellowship Award to the family of the late Richard Tudor.

Along with the usual schedule of competitions, classes, exhibitions and displays, the Winter Fair offers shoppers the perfect opportunity to pick up some unique and original Christmas gifts from the hundreds of tradestands and the event will see the return of the great firework display on Monday evening at an earlier time of 6.30pm.

The food hall will once again be offering a display of the very best Welsh food companies and their produce, tempting visitors to try the wide variety of culinary delights.

All tickets will need to be purchased before the event through the website in order to comply with the current Covid-19 regulations. Due to the Welsh Government Track & Trace regulations organisers will not be able to offer the usual free entry after 4pm on Monday.

Visitors attending the Winter Fair over the age of 18 will need to provide evidence of their NHS Covid pass or a negative lateral flow test on arrival. Extra measures are being put in place to ensure that everyone’s safety is a top priority when they are visiting the showground. Organisers are asking all visitors to please wear face coverings when inside any of the buildings, adhere to social distancing and one-way systems and regularly use hand sanitising points.

Buy your tickets for the Winter Fair online now at www.rwas.wales/winter-fair/. Visit the site for more information about the event and Covid safety measures.