BURST
The Pacific National Exhibition has always been patriotic. But this year, the PNE is taking it to a new level. It’s selling Canadian corn dogs.
Not only that, the annual fair will be selling West Coast chowder poutine. And apple crumble perogies.
The exotic treats are part of the fare from an all-Canadian lineup of food vendors at this year’s fair, which opens Saturday and runs to Sept. 1.
The fair unveiled its 2025 lineup at a news conference Thursday on Miller Drive, the street between Hastings Park racecourse and the PNE’s agricultural barns.
Looming nearby was the striking new curved roof for the 10,000 seat Freedom Arch amphitheatre the PNE is building on the former demolition derby site. It will open in summer 2026.
PNE president Shelley Frost pointed to the amphitheatre as part of an “incredible time of evolution for our organization.”
But then, evolution has been constant in a fair that began in 1910.
Playing on its family-friendly vibe, the PNE will be transforming the Italian Garden green space beside the Forum into The Big Backyard, a celebration of Canadian sports that has areas set aside for kids to play hockey, soccer, football and basketball.
“They can try their hand at shooting pucks at targets,” Frost explains. “They can spend some time (practising) their foot skills for soccer, they can try their hand at different sports.”
Over on Miller Drive, the fair is hosting an international sand castle competition, with sculptors from Canada, Taiwan and South Korea. The first sculpture was bring finished Thursday — the PNE logo.
There will also be the Tatus Festival, showcasing Indigenous music, art and food. It will showcase 127 Indigenous artists with performances on the Festival Stage, including headliners Crystal Shawanda and George Leach.
The festival also features Indigenous food trucks and a large Indigenous arts and crafts marketplace. In addition, the fair will have a display of traditional Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) carvers at work.
The big news at the site in the off-season was the discovery of several First World War-era artillery pieces. Two German howitzers that were unearthed during the excavation for the amphitheatre will be displayed between the Agrodome and Pacific Coliseum during the fair.
The PNE will be handing over the old weaponry discovered at Hastings Park to the Canadian military on Aug. 19, and will be offering free admission to any active duty or retired Canadian armed forces members.
The concert lineup at the Pacific Coliseum includes Canadian acts like Tom Cochrane (Aug. 29), Mother Mother (Aug. 21) and Marianas Trench (Aug. 24). International acts include Counting Crows (Aug. 16), Lynyrd Skynyrd (Aug. 17) and Gipsy Kings (Aug. 20).
Free concerts on the existing Freedom Mobile Stage in centre grounds kick off with shows by PNE favourite Bobby Bruce, otherwise known as Nearly Neil and the Solitary Band. Nearly Neil plays Aug. 16 and 17, followed by the Fleetwood Mac tribute Dreams Aug. 19 and 20.
To help the media get into the spirit of this year’s event, the PNE held a “guilty pleasures” food and wine pairings Thursday, featuring B.C. wines with fair food. A Jimmy’s Lunch burger, for example, was paired with a Cabaret Sauvignon from Black Sage winery in Oliver.
PNE chef Andy Chong let out the big secret to the delicious onions at Jimmy’s Lunch: They season them with orange Fanta soft drink.
In case you were wondering, the Canadian corn dog is made with maple and bacon. The West Coast chowder poutine has salmon and cod.
Adult tickets to the fair are $20 online, $25 at the gate. Seniors and youth 13-18 are $14 online, $16 at the gate. Kids 4-12 are $7 online, $9 at the gate. Special rates can be found on the PNE website; on opening weekend (Aug. 16 and 17) admission is $7 for online purchases.
