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College Royal goes virtual for 2021

Annual University of Guelph event to feature live activities, pre-recorded demos and more
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College Royal 2017. Tony Saxon/GuelphToday file photo

Old Macdonald’s Farm and other favourites will be back this year, but they’ll take on a new look as College Royal goes virtual for 2021.

“So many people in Guelph look forward to this event … so we wanted to have some sense of normalcy,” said College Royal president Abby Peca, a fourth-year student. “This is an event that so many people love. I really hope that people come because I think we have a lot of cool things planned.

“This is a really great tradition.”

The popular, free annual event at the University of Guelph typically attracts about 20,000 people over two days. It’s the largest university open house of its kind in North America, boasts the College Royal Society website.

Held during the last weekend of March Break – March 20 and 21 this time around – the event typically provides an opportunity for people to explore the university campus and see what professors and students are up to, with a wide variety of demonstrations, activities, games, lectures, displays, shows and more. 

Though exploring the campus in person is off limits for 2021, Peca said students have been working hard to make the virtual event as fun, entertaining and educational as possible.

People will be able to flip through an activity book at virtualcolleteroyal.com – the site isn't up and running at the time this article was written but is expected to be within a couple of weeks – and link to the various events listed. Some will be pre-recorded, while others are run live.

There will also be pancake and milkshake recipes for people to make at home, as well as downloadable activities for children.

“We tried to keep as many events as possible and try to come up with creative ways to be able to portray (College Royal),” said Peca. “It hasn’t been easy but I do believe it’s going to be a lot of fun.

“I think it’s all coming together.”

Event organizers and volunteers will be hosting a live chat from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days to answer questions.

This year marks the 97th College Royal. Though some activities leading up to the public event were able to go forward last year, such as a kick-off celebration, fashion show and clipping competition, the public part was cancelled in light of health concerns.

“It was really unfortunate that it was cancelled so last-minute last year,” said Peca.

Assuming it’s safe to do so, the wheels are in motion for a return to the traditional format next year. The 98th College Royal is scheduled for March 19 and 20, 2022.


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Richard Vivian

About the Author: Richard Vivian

Richard Vivian is an award-winning journalist and longtime Guelph resident. He joined the GuelphToday team as assistant editor in 2020, largely covering municipal matters and general assignment duties
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