SASKATOON, Sask. — The annual fall tradition known as Ag Bag Drag has reached a 75 year milestone. More than just a dance, the event is intended to celebrate friendship, agricultural roots, student spirit and enduring family connecitons. Univerity of Saskatchewan College of Agricultural students say it has become a time honred ritual.
What began as a semi-formal dance with grain-bag-inspired décor has evolved a long way since its humble beginnings in 1951.
For Ross Reynolds, one of the original students behind the now-iconic University of Saskatchewan tradition, the heart of the event remains unchanged: bringing people together.
At 95 years-of-age , Reynolds was not about to miss the opportunity to celebrate the legacy he helped create. Invited as the guest speaker at the 75th anniversary celebration held Oct. 23 at Prairieland Park, Reynolds shared stories of the early years, offering a glimpse into a different era of university life while reminding attendees why traditions matter.
Hosted by students in the U of S College of Agriculture and Bioresources, affectionately known as the Agros, the milestone celebration was also an informal reunion, welcoming former students whose connections to the college span decades — and, in some cases, multiple generations.
For Reynolds, the evening was especially meaningful. A member of the class of 1953, he attended alongside his son, Darryl Reynolds, a graduate of 1980, and granddaughter Amber Reynolds, who is expected to graduate in 2027.
Three generations of the same family, connected by the same institution and a tradition that began long before the youngest generation was born.
A tradition born from love of dancing
Reynolds was a third-year agriculture student, just 20 years old, when he and his college classmates helped establish Ag Bag Drag in 1951. He served as social director for the College of Agriculture during his student years, helping lay the groundwork for an event that would become one of the college's best-known traditions.
Speaking to SaskToday, Reynolds recalled a time when dancing was a central part of student social life.
“In those days we all liked to dance, round dance and waltzes and such, not at all what I’ve seen reflected in dancing today,” he said with a laugh.
Getting dressed up was part of the occasion, too. Women wore dresses, while men arrived in suits, sport jackets and ties, turning an evening of dancing into a special social event.
The idea for Ag Bag Drag also grew out of cooperation between students. Women studying household science and agriculture students joined forces because neither group had enough people to organize a dance independently.
With nightclubs not nearly as prevalent as they are today, the students chose The Marigold, located east across from the Senator Hotel, as the venue for their inaugural event. A familiar destination for dances and live music, it provided the perfect setting for a new university tradition.
What began as a student-organized dance would go on to become an enduring part of the U of S's agro culture.
The story behind the name
Even the name Ag Bag Drag reflects the event's agricultural roots and playful spirit.
“Ag” is short for agriculture, representing the students who founded and organized the dance. “Bag” evokes grain bags, feed sacks and the everyday materials of farm life that inspired early decorations and themes. “Drag” suggests drawing people out for a night of socializing, dancing and dressing up — a chance to step away from studies and farm work and enjoy an evening on the town.
Together, the words capture the personality of the event: agricultural pride mixed with a sense of fun.
The original celebrations were considerably different from today's festivities, Reynolds noted. In the early years, attendees generally arrived as couples, and the dance was a more traditional, semi-formal affair.
Looking around the anniversary celebration, he observed that the balance of attendees had changed, with more women than men in attendance. That observation also reflected a much broader transformation within agricultural education.
From a handful of women to new opportunities
When Reynolds attended the College of Agriculture, women were a rare presence in the program.
“In my four years, there were only two girls in the entire college and now I understand it is about 60 per cent girls, which is nice to see these new opportunities for them,” he said.
For Reynolds, the changing demographics represent more than a difference in student numbers. They are evidence of how far agricultural education has come and how opportunities have expanded over the decades.
That evolution is part of what makes the 75th anniversary significant: Ag Bag Drag has endured while the people, culture and educational environment around it have changed.
A student tradition that helped fund the year
In its early days, Ag Bag Drag was also an important fundraising initiative for the Agros. Students took responsibility for virtually every aspect of the event, from selling tickets and arranging the entertainment to ordering and delivering beer and working throughout the evening. The profits helped finance other student activities during the year, making the dance both a social highlight and a practical undertaking.
Reynolds recalled that the event operated very differently under the liquor laws and social customs of the 1950s. The legal drinking age was 21, leaving many students in the early years underage, and the students had to navigate arrangements themselves in an era when liquor licensing for such functions was not as it is today.
With characteristic humour, he remembered that their sport jackets had a neat little pocket to hold a little something to sip on.
Today, Prairieland Park has taken over the event's operations and staffing, marking another significant change in the event’s evolution.
Although Reynolds is pleased the tradition continues, he admits there is a touch of nostalgia for the days when the Agros organized the dance themselves and benefited directly from its fundraising proceeds.
“It is wonderful to see the tradition carried on and I am so proud to be part of this group,” he said. “I am thrilled to see it remain a part of the college’s identity and to be able to attend this milestone anniversary in person.”
His pride in the university tradition is matched by a remarkable 85-year connection to, and lifetime of, farming. For someone who has witnessed so many changes in agriculture and society, returning to celebrate a tradition from his student days offered a rare opportunity to see history come full circle.
Perhaps the most enduring part of Ag Bag Drag's story is not just the event itself. Reynolds' own story began at the first Ag Bag Drag, where he danced with his then-girlfriend, Irene. She later became his wife, and the two shared 60 years of marriage.
Their story is echoed in memories shared by other attendees over the decades. Some recall meeting people for the first time at Ag Bag Drag, discovering common interests in agriculture and the way of life it offers, and eventually finding a road to the altar somewhere down the road.
For Reynolds, being invited back was both an honour and a welcome surprise. Brad, a 1984 graduate, helped arrange his attendance after his niece, who was involved in organizing this year's event, researched the tradition and discovered Reynolds' role in its beginnings.
“She did some research and I was found to be one of the people who started this event. I was thrilled to be a part of it,” Reynolds said. “To be honest, I was thinking of going anyway, being the 75th anniversary and all. It definitely has turned into something.”
Seventy-five years and still bringing people together
The 75th anniversary of Ag Bag Drag was an opportunity to celebrate more than a milestone. It was a chance to recognize the people who built the tradition, the students who continue it and the generations who have made it part of their own stories.
The original students could hardly have imagined how far their dance would travel through time. What began in 1951 as a student-led evening of music and socializing has become a lasting symbol of camaraderie and community within the College of Agriculture and Bioresources.
At 95, Reynolds returned not simply as a guest speaker, but as a living link to the event's beginnings — a reminder that traditions endure because people choose to carry them forward. And as his son, granddaughter and generations of fellow Agros joined him in celebrating, the meaning of the milestone became clear.
