The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) has always been a place where memories are made, but this year, the CNE is adding a new chapter to its storied history: a wedding in the heart of the Midway.
After receiving more than 400 submissions from couples across Ontario, CNE organizers have selected Jacqueline of Toronto and Patrick of Ottawa — a long-distance couple in their 60s — to exchange vows in front of the iconic SuperWheel on Saturday, Aug. 23.
In a press release, the CNE said that Jacqueline, a lifelong Torontonian, has been attending the annual fair since childhood. Her parents made it a family tradition, and she even worked at The EX as a teenager.
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“We received so many heartwarming accounts of couples who met their soulmate at the CNE, whose childhood memories are rooted in the tradition of going to the fair, and whose connections to loved ones passed, and hopes for the future are intertwined here at The EX,” said CNE CEO Mark Holland.
When she met Patrick, who lives and works in Ottawa, one of the first things she shared with him was her love for the fairgrounds. Over the years, their relationship blossomed through weekend visits and summer trips to the CNE. For 25 years, they passionately navigated the distance between Toronto and Ottawa.
Earlier this year, in May 2025, Jacqueline and Patrick officially tied the knot, but when the CNE announced its “Marriage on the Midway” initiative, the couple jumped at the chance to do it all over again — this time, in front of the famed Ferris wheel.
The CNE said that family and friends are joining the couple for what organizers are calling a “one-of-a-kind celebration of love.”
“It was an incredibly difficult decision, but Jacqueline and Patrick’s story stood out because they embody the values of joy, tradition, family, and community connection that so many people have to the CNE,” Holland said.
You can win passes to the CNE, which runs until Sept. 1, here.