University of Guelph celebrates 101 years of College Royal

The University of Guelph celebrated 101 years of an agricultural tradition: College Royal.

The event is an annual open house held at the university, where anyone is welcome to come check out the festivities.

Jill Ohm is the president of the College Royal Society. She said the tradition brings the community of Guelph together.

“It’s a way for us to show the community what we’re working on at a university, and it’s a way to invite alumni back and just a chance for everybody to connect with each other,” said Ohm.

College Royal’s website states it’s the biggest open house event of its kind in North America.

The student-run event began in 1924, and has consistently welcomed over 20,000 visitors in recent years, according to the College Royal Society.

The open house holds livestock shows, a dog competition, and square dancing among many other activities for people to see.

“Lots of families love it, it’s a great day out,” said Ohm.

Matt Soltys brought his kids to the event, something he used to do as a kid.

“I want to show my kids the farm animals,” said Soltys. “We live only two kilometers away. So, any chance I can get for them to see more about the campus and what there is here, and also any kind of chance to see animals, is always fun.”

The event runs annually on the third weekend of March.