Vancouver’s annual PNE fair is set to kick off Saturday, bringing an extravagant show to thousands of guests over its 15-day run.
Entertainment includes the SuperDogs, the KC Bear’s All-Canadian Street, agricultural exhibitions, and the International Sand Sculpting Showcase.
New to the fair this year is the Big Backyard Free Play Zone, where families can try their hand at hockey, basketball, football, and soccer.
“We are excited for the wave of sport that is taking over Vancouver, so the PNE is really capitalizing on that,” said Christie Ker, director of fair operations.
“We have our Italian Gardens decked out with four different sport activations.”
Organizers say they are checking off all the boxes when it comes to thrills, entertainment, and food.
A unique wine-tasting experience pairs iconic carnival treats with B.C. wines, giving fair-goers over 19 the opportunity to indulge in some unusual pleasures — such as pairing a sauvignon blanc with their fried pickles.
“Food and wine pairings do not need to be fancy,” said Carissa Palangino with Arterra Wines Canada.
“We do not need to have caviar and campagne. We can pair chips and find an amazing wine to go with them. Same with fair food. For every single item, we can find a couple pairings that will work beautifully with it.”
Serving wine from B.C. goes along with the PNE’s focus on supporting local this year.
“As an example, 100 per cent of our food vendors on site this year are Canadian businesses,” said PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost.
“They are all working really hard to bring some really fun-themed Canadian products for you to try, like the maple bacon corn dog and the West Coast seafood chowder poutine.”
The Summer Nights Concerts series begins Saturday evening with the Counting Crows. Other acts include Lynyrd Skynyrd, Counting Crows, Flo Rida, Meghan Trainor, Foreigner, Tom Cochrane, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and the Gipsy Kings, among others.