The annual summer fair at Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) opens Saturday, Aug. 19, with some new attractions and familiar favourites in East Vancouver.
Entertainment this year includes The SuperDogs, Knights of Valour jousting show, Flying Fools High Dive Show, Dueling Pianos, an immersive Monet art exhibit, agriculture displays, drag shows, cooking demonstrations, a pyro musical, Summer Night Concerts and more.
The 113th edition of the fair runs until Sept. 4, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, but the gates are closed on the two Mondays of Aug. 21 and Aug. 28.
PNE concerts for 2023 feature the usual wide assortment of pop, rock, R&B and country music at the Chevrolet Stage amphitheatre. Hot tickets this year include the sold-out Billy Idol concert Sunday, Aug. 27, along with Boyz II Men, Tenille Townes, Boney M, Jason Derulo, Billy Talent, Doug and the Slugs with the VSO, Pink Martini and more. Scroll down for all the concert dates.
Like last year, all concert-goers will need a fair gate pass as well as a paid concert ticket, some priced as low as $20 on ticketleader.ca.
New to the PNE is “Beyond Monet,” an immersive exhibit of 400 of Claude Monet’s artworks, and Best of the West Archery Championships (Aug. 26-27, Agrodome).
Back for daily shows is “Knights of Valour” with live jousting and horsemanship, among many other fair attractions found on pne.ca.
Earlier this year a new PNE logo was revealed along with the 2023 theme of “Eat, Play, Love.”
What do you think of the new @PNE_Playland logo?
Today the PNE launched a new logo as part of a new brand identity, which, at 113 years old, "was needed to reflect where the organization is at today." pic.twitter.com/46Luc0Mb3F
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) June 22, 2023
• RELATED VIDEO/STORY: PNE Prize Home showcases new Langley house full of bells and whistles.
For the run of the fair this year, TransLink will boost bus service, host an interactive transit exhibit and offer discounted admissions on Fridays.
As part of a Ride & Shine campaign, TransLink is partnering with the PNE to offer two-for-one fair admission for the first 5,000 customers who show their Compass products at the entrance gate on Fridays. Fair-goers will have direct access via the 16 PNE Special bus, which runs between 29 Avenue Station, Renfrew Station and the PNE site every 15 minutes in each direction, every day the fair is open.
The first bus will depart 29 Avenue Station starting at 9:34 a.m. each morning, and the last bus will leave the PNE at 12:07 a.m. nightly from outside the Pacific Coliseum at bus stop 58030.
Looking ahead, the PNE Winter Fair will return in December with holiday lights, live music, skating and “Ice Bumper Cars” on a Tim Hortons-sponsored rink and “Nutcracker on Ice” at Pacific Coliseum. Details are posted on pne.ca/winter-fair.
Complete listing of the PNE’s 2023 Summer Night Concert Series:
Saturday, August 19 – TLC
Sunday, August 20 – Boyz II Men
Tuesday, August 22 – Tenille Townes
Wednesday, August 23 – Boney M featuring Maizie Williams
Thursday, August 24 – Yung Gravy & bbno$
Friday, August 25 – Billy Talent
Saturday, August 26 – AQUA
Sunday, August 27 – Billy Idol
Tuesday, August 29 – Pink Martini featuring China Forbes
Wednesday, August 30 – Doug and the Slugs with the VSO
Thursday, August 31 – Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo
Friday, September 1 – Jason Derulo
Saturday, September 2 – Stars of Drag
Sunday, September 3 – Walk off the Earth
Monday, September 4 – Blue Rodeo: 30 Years In July
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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