It’s showtime again!

Posted 7 September, 2022 RAA

When I was a child, the first hint that the Royal Adelaide Show was just around the corner was when showbag ads started popping up on TV.

Sitting on the lounge room floor before and after school, inches away from the old woodgrain Kreisler television, I’d be watching cartoons when Mr Showbags would burst onto the screen spruiking that year’s offerings.

Showbags meant everything to me, but they were only a small part of the whole show experience. For others, including my samotor colleagues, there’s so much more to enjoy at the Wayville wonderland.

Scary rides

Thrill seekers crave adrenaline-pumping rides which leave hearts in mouths and showgoers clutching the safety harness for dear life.

Before it shut down in 2007, the Mad Mouse roller coaster was a must for anyone tall enough to ride. Zipping round at a furious clip, the small cabin felt like it could shoot off the track at any second.

Another favourite, the Pirate Ship, is still swinging and as popular as ever. And, if you’re looking for a fright, the Ghost Train offers plenty of spooky scares.

“The rides were always my favourite part of the Show,” says Lauren Ferrone from samotor. “The scarier, the better.”

“The Ghost Train terrified me but I loved every minute of it.”

Lauren braved the rollicking frightfest again this year. Her blood-curdling screams could be heard across the showgrounds.

Surely, you’ve heard the urban legend about the infamous Gravitron. You know, the one where someone got motion sickness on that spinning flying saucer and everyone else copped a face full of whatever they had for breakfast that morning.

Whether it’s true or a tall tale, the Gravitron has a place in the hearts and memories of many teenagers who visited the Royal Adelaide Show throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Sideshow Alley

Step right up, step right up – every player wins a prize! Technically, that’s true but it’s relative. I mean, winning a keychain isn’t quite the same as taking home a giant plush teddy bear.

Most carnival games are similar – the higher the score, the bigger the prize.

There’s the shooting gallery, balloon burst and milk-can toss to name a few. Oh, and coulrophobics (people afraid of clowns) should definitely steer clear of the laughing clowns.

Carnival games were always a highlight for samotor editor, Jeremy Rochow.

“One of my favourite parts of the show is sideshow alley,” he says. “And I remember nagging my parents about having a crack at the laughing clowns.”

“But, unfortunately, I never won a big fluffy toy.”

Test your strength with the hammer carnival game! Grab a sledgehammer and hit the base as hard as you can, then watch the slider shoot up the rod to see how strong you really are.

To this day, I’ve never seen anyone hit the bell at the top. Um, ding?

Showbags

Showbags are an Aussie institution. Once known as sample bags, they were first given away by stall holders at agricultural shows in 1902. These early bags contained product samples of household goods.

These days, they’re jampacked with toys, chocolates, lollies, and all kinds of random novelties.

When he was younger, Michael Phelan from samotor couldn’t wait to buy up big in the showbags pavilion.

“Every year, I hit the superhero stand with a vengeance,” he says. “I’d come home with Superman, Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Gag Magic, Horror showbags and more.”

“This year, I’m getting a Batman showbag.”

Lots of people prefer the confectionery showbags. Just about every chocolate and lolly brand ever made had a showbag, including FruChocs, Smarties, Minties, Crunchie, Kit-Kat and Violet Crumble. The Sunnyboy showbag was popular with students at my primary school.

Bertie Beetle was the one confectionery showbag I picked up every year – back when I was a young’un, it only cost a gold coin