The Pacific National Exhibition opens its gates. Come one, come all!
What is it about the PNE that keeps people coming back year after year?
Is it the free concerts, bringing people decades back? Is it the creative, wacky, otherworldly food and beverage options, such as Corndogs wrapped in all sorts of things or deep fried *anything that can be deep fried*? Perhaps it is the classics eats, like cinnamon-sugar mini donuts, candy floss, or greasy burgers and french fries. For the adults, it could be the Craft Beer Fest, a sample of some of BC’s best drafts and vinos.
Maybe it is the Marketplace, bringing vendors from near and far together to offer you the latest, greatest, and oftentimes unusual device, toy, gadget or tool. When walking through the pavilion, it is easy to get swept up (shout out to those mops that absorb everything) in the commotion of it all and end up with an item or two that you will never use.
Between the swarms of people, the flashing lights, the ever-changing exhibits and performers, and the rows and rows of booths, there is definitely something special about the annual fair. Although it is a mere 15 days long, it is a symbol that there is still some summer time fun left to be had. From young and old, to everyone in between, the PNE–and let’s not forget Playland–showcases the magic that happens when people come together at one massive, urban fairground.
The PNE is more than just a fair… it is a summer staple in our province, first opened in 1910, that has been a source of many memorable moments.
So, what is it about the PNE that keeps people coming back year after year? All of it and whatever YOU make of it!
Ian Power
@ianonair