Attention, Toronto! The CNE is back with squid-ink corndogs, ketchup-flavoured soft serve
The deep-fried anticipation is palpable as the Canadian National Exhibition opens Friday after a two-year break due to the pandemic.
"Sometimes we forget about just how substantial this event has been for so long," CNE CEO Darrell Brown said at a news conference on Wednesday.
Canada's largest fair, which draws about 1.4 million attendees, runs until Sept. 5. Brown noted how advanced ticket sales are the highest they've ever been, and the Ex will mark its return with a mix of crowd-pleasers and new attractions.
First, the food. No carnival experience is complete without adventurous eats. This year's headliner: mustard-and ketchup-flavoured soft serve ice cream.
Brown noted in an interview with CBC News Network that the frozen condiments are best paired with fries. He recommends the salty ketchup, which also comes in sweet flavour.
Other noteworthy foods debuting are the Korean squid-ink corndog, covered in a black batter; macaroni and cheese pizza and a cross between a croissant and a waffle, known as a croffle.
Above the food building at around 10:45 p.m. each night, you can take in the Dazzling Drone Show, featuring about 100 drones in the night sky.
Three times a day, guests can take in NEVAEH & the NorthStar, an immersive storytelling experience in the Coca Coliseum, with a drone show, pyrotechnics and augmented reality.
And the Gaming Garage is back, this time for the entire 18 days. Guests can enjoy attractions such as Esports and robotics competitions, pinball and card games.
Founded in 1879, the CNE has two attractions that turn back the clock one of which takes place in Heritage Court of the Enercare Centre, where guests can take in a presentation of the fair's 144-year history. The other, Doorways to the Past, treats guests to an augmented reality experience at four points on the CNE grounds through an app on their smart phones.
"If you hold up your phone to the doorway, the door opens, and, all of a sudden, you're taken back to another point in time at the CNE," Brown explained.
Big names at the bandshell
Performers at the bandshell this year include Canadian musicians Marianas Trench (Aug. 21), Jake Clemons (Aug. 22), Monowhales (Aug. 23), David Wilcox (Aug. 30), Gordon Lightfoot (Sept. 3) and Tom Cochrane (Sept. 4).
Comedians Howie Mandel, Ali Hassan, Nour Hadidi, Nile Seguin and Courtney Gilmour will be at the bandshell Friday night.
Art is another component of the fair. Visitors can check out works by Charles Pachter, a National Geographic exhibit titled The Greatest Wildlife Photos and Benjamin Von Wong's environmental art installation Turn off the Plastic Tap in the Enercare Centre.
You can also enjoy twice-daily Celebrity Stage Kitchen events, with chefs such as Claudio Aprile, La-toya Fagon and Darian Bryan; multiple daily performances by the high-flying SuperDogs and the iconic Snowbirds take flight in the Canadian International Air Show from Sept. 3 to 5.
The list of entertainment goes on, but you can't forget the rides and games. Brown noted that there is a new double-decker merry-go-round ride.
Safety inspector strike continues
Not all is well as the CNE makes its return.
Some 170 inspectors who are tasked with keeping the rides safe have been on strike since July 21, citing wages as one of the issues. They're represented by the Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU).
Although the CNE has stated that there are no public safety concerns, an OPSEU news release sent out Tuesday says the rides are being overseen by a handful of supervisors who "mostly work in the office and rarely in the field."
"Many haven't done any field inspections for quite a few years," the release reads.
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority says it's brought managers and consultants to facilitate safety inspections and there is no public safety risk. The CNE Association agrees.
"There are no safety concerns as far as we're concerned," Brown told CBC News.
"We have our own team to make sure things are up to scratch always."
