PNE wraps with strong attendance after smoky skies loomed above
On the last day of the Fair at the PNE, Oskar Redlinski won big.
He had been trying his luck at the arcade for hours where glory, or at least giant stuffies, await. Thirty bucks in loonies later, he had nothing to show for his efforts, until he got to the ring toss.
“My luck changed. On the first toss, I won this,” said Redlinski, gesturing to the large blue cat perched around his neck.
For Raman Clair and five-yearold son Kaiden, it was an actionpacked day checking out as many of the attractions and rides the fair had to offer. The animals and the barns: check. Bug Whirled: check. Kaiden’s favourite ride, the Ferris Wheel: check.
Their plan of attack was simple, said Clair. “Rides first, just to get their energy out, and everything else after.”
The Clairs were among the more than 700,000 fairgoers who streamed through the PNE gates during the exhibition, a beloved summer tradition celebrating its 108th year.
“Seeing families of all ages and all cultures, with all different interests getting together having a great time and sharing memories … for me that’s the best part of the fair,” said PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost, who assumed the top post earlier this year.
With 15 years as PNE vice-president under her belt, Frost is familiar with what the fair has to offer, but it never gets old. “Honestly, it’s a fantastic job. Even on a bad day, we’re still working on concerts and roller-coasters.”
The season got off to a rocky start because the wildfire smoke and haze that enveloped Metro Vancouver in mid-August kept some people, particularly seniors and families with young kids, away, bringing down attendance figures.
“Normally we anticipate 700,000 to 750,000 people throughout the 15-day run,” said Frost. “It’ll be in the lower end of the spectrum because in the first week, the air was tough with the smoky skies.”
But pent-up demand meant a busy second week, with attendance during the second half exceeding expectations, she noted.
This year, new attractions like POPnology, an exhibit that chronicles how books, movies, art and TV, have influenced technology, and the Lost World of Dragons drew large crowds.
The fair’s free summer night concert series — a lineup that included Boyz II Men, Air Supply, Jann Arden and Cyndi Lauper — maxed out capacity at the 7,000seat amphitheatre on most nights.
The Tomkinson family from Abbotsford had rented a U-Haul to get their three electric scooters to the fair. They planned to cap the day with the Cyndi Lauper concert.
On an electric scooter adorned with toys and prizes won in a fun day ’s work, Joy Tomkinson said her favourite part of the fair was how it transports her back to childhood. “I like feeling like a kid again.”