In most cities and towns there’s a fair that comes through eevery summer. Toronto happens to have an epic one. It’s called the Canadian National Exhibition – or simply the CNE – and it’s on for almost three weeks every summer. Founded in 1879, the CNE is one of the largest fairs in North America. If you’re planning to go, you won’t be disappointed.
The CNE has a little bit of everything: rides, games, live music, you name it – but what it’s really known for is the food. Every year the CNE has new, crazy food items. This year’s line-up includes deep fried Ferrero Rochers, rainbow KitKat crepes, mac and Cheetos popsicles and more (WTF?). Most fairs will have epic treats you’ll wanna hit up, but the CNE definitely knows what they’re doing when it comes to good eats.
We’ve put together a handy guide for getting the most out of the CNE, or any fair really.
- Backpack
- Empty water bottle
- Hand sanitizer
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Gum or mints
- Gravol
- Band Aids
- Camera
- Selfie stick (optional)
- Lippy (chapstick or lipstick)
- Cash money
You’ll want to do a little bit of everything while you’re there, including:
Eat at least one crazy food item. For us, that was cheesecake on a stick, covered in vanilla icing, Lucky Charms and strawberry sauce – and yes, it was as good as it looked. But we also indulged in some pretty epic sammies too, because well…when in Rome.
Play at least one game. Fair games can be crazy hard. It’s not you, it’s the whack-a-mole. They’re designed this way so you’ll continue to spend money as your frustration and determination levels rise. BUT, you’ve gotta suck it up and play at least one game, hoping your having a lucky day. There were some crazy games, but we tried our hand at the rubber ducky one. Spoiler alert: we didn’t win anything.
Go on at least one ride. The crazier, the better. For us this meant hitting up this roller coaster that looked kind of dinky, but actually terrified us. The turns were hella sharp.
At the end of it all, have a drink. You may be jonesin’ for something light and refreshing after all that fair food. We indulged in some Social Lite’s – refreshing vodka soda beverages. These are certified crushable.
Some sweet jams that capture that fun at the fair experience. Rock out to these tunes on the way over and you’ll be ready to ride that roller coaster for days.