While The Annual Exhibition may be one of the most popular annual events in Bermuda it still has its hold-outs.

The Royal Gazette Lifestyles section polled its contacts on Thursday to find out just how aware Bermudians are about what is going on at The 70th Annual Exhibition, and how excited they are about the event.

Out of 28 who responded to the unofficial survey about The Annual Exhibition we found six people who were actually going.

"I have kids, do I even have a choice about going?" said Lisa Currin. Mrs. Currin was about the only person we could find that knew about this year's Double Dutch skipping demonstration given by the Dynamic Diplomats of Double Dutch, a group from the United States.

Although most people in our survey seemed to know when it was on, April 17, 18 and 19, some were still caught unawares.

"I only found out this morning that the Annual Exhibition was on when I got caught in traffic," said one woman who commutes from Paget to St. George's.

"I actually know the dates of the event, as a friend of mine runs a grooming business and has been doing very well grooming goats."

Kate Garside wrote. "I know what dates it is on only because I looked on the web to find out and that took ages. The link via gov.bm doesn't work."

Some people thought there'd been a lack of advertising this year, possibly due to last year's complaints about the cost, which rose 250 percent between 2003 and 2006.

Claire Simons of Pompano Beach Road, Southampton said: "I only mentioned it last night to a client — what happened to all the advertising?

"I remember when the boys were at school, big glossy flyers in all shops supermarkets and on telephone poles.

"I asked my client what was in the main ring and she did not know. The only way she remembered it was the Ag Show (The Annual Exhibition) this week, was when she was booking a flight to Boston and all flights are booked for a long weekend."

One no-goer described the Annual Exhibition as "too small town" for his taste.

"The event is too small town, hickish, like going to a Sunday bizarre, potato sack race or petting zoo — waste of time," said the guest worker in the construction industry. He did not wish to be named for fear of having his work permit revoked. "Fight night, world rugby classic are great events in Bermuda."

Among those we polled, there was little awareness about performances by Jesse White Tumblers, Diplomats of Double Dutch, the National Double Dutch team, the Indian Dance Team or the In Motion School of Dance, among other things.

When asked what special events at The Annual Exhibition, one no-goer wrote, tongue in cheek: "Feral chicken chasing and goat grooming maybe?"

But this could be because Double Dutch skipping pales in comparison to the real reason hordes of children flock to the Botanical Gardens every year — the animals.

"I'm going to see the pigs, I like their little squiggly tails," wrote one adult male Bermudian.

Kate Lantagne said she was taking the kids this year. In answer to whether she expected anything different, she said: "Probably not — we go to see the animals and entries. It's a great day for the kids."

Taking the word "agricultural" out of the name of the event several years ago has left many people peeved, and others confused.

One woman wrote: "I haven't even heard of the Annual Exhibition!"

Another person wrote: "Do you mean the Ag Show? If not, I've no idea what this is."

There wasn't anybody who thought there'd be anything different about this year's show. "Same old, same old," was the basic response, to the question, "Do you think this year will be any different from last year?"

And for many Bermudians the repetition that was the attraction in the first place.

One person said: "That is the beauty of the Ag show, it's always the same thing."

In answer to whether she was going, whether she knew what the prime attractions were this year and whether she was entering anything she wrote, "nope, nope and nope".

Paget resident, Judy Corday said she was going to the Annual Exhibition, but with small kids in tow she probably wouldn't be watching any of the special events like the Double Dutch jumping.

"I have wee ones with me and they won't sit still long enough to watch," she wrote.

One Paget resident not going this year, said rather sadly: "It appears the Annual Ag Show has become unimportant.

"For many years, our family were involved in fund raising for charities and volunteered for the Bermuda Zoological Society's management of the massive parking system."