Five ways to celebrate the Ekka public holiday

The postponing of the upcoming Ekka public holiday doesn’t mean we can’t still get into the holiday spirit and celebrate with some of our favourite Ekka activities. Here are our five favourites.

Make your own Ekka delicacies

Perhaps the best part of the Ekka is the delicious food, so why not recreate the tastes of the show in your own home?! The Ekka’s iconic strawberry and cream ice creams are the perfect place to start – all you’ll need are some wafer cone cups, vanilla ice cream, strawberries and cream ice cream, whipped cream and fresh strawberries (click here for the recipe). Other show favourites include fairy floss and dagwood dogs.

Make your own showbags

It’s not an Ekka public holiday if you don’t have bags and bags of novelty toys and treats to pore over at the end of the day, so why not get a bit creative and DIY your own version? We’re willing to argue they’ll turn out even better than the real thing – you can fill them up with exactly what your children like, including their favourite treats, fun activity booklets and toys, and won’t end up with a pile of unwanted items when they’re finished.

Experience the animal life

Animals are a huge part of the Ekka experience – where else can you see enormous cattle alongside day-old lambs in the heart of the city? Thanks to COVID, the Ekka established plenty of virtual versions of their most loved aspects in 2020, and we’ll bet they’ll be back this year. From the virtual animal nursery tour to the online pet show, plus the unmissable horse show, Ekka Online is your hub for all things animal life.

Do Ekka-themed crafts

Why not get in touch with your creative side and enjoy an afternoon of Ekka-themed crafts? From this tutorial for DIY fairy floss to trying your hand at cake decoration in honour of the much-loved cake competition, there are so many ways to celebrate the arty, crafty aspects of the Ekka. Keeping it simple? Try these colouring in pages of Ferris wheel and a pig. NOT A CHANGE – but are we good to mention colouring in pages?

Watch the fireworks

Is there anything better than sitting high on Machinery Hill, showbag in one hand, dagwood dog in the other, ready and waiting to watch yet another epic fireworks display? Maybe not – but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to recreate the feeling at home! Relive the beauty of last year’s display – you can see the 2020 fireworks online right here.