The PNE Fair is here for another year, with the 2019 edition of the annual event set to start Saturday (Aug. 17) and continue until Labour Day (Sept. 2). The fair will be closed on the Mondays of Aug. 19 and 26.
For those two-plus weeks, the 114-acre PNE site at East Vancouver’s Hastings Park will be alive with rides, food, entertainment, exhibits and more.
This year’s fair highlights include the “hypnotizingly” amazing Reveen, an “immersive selfie-photo experience,” Summer Night concerts and the medieval-style Knights of Valour jousting show.
The 8:30 p.m. concerts, free with fair admission, start Saturday (Aug. 17) with Blue Rodeo and include performances on other nights by Cheap Trick, Vince Neil (of Mötley Crüe fame), Styx, UB40, Billy Idol, an “I Love the ’90s” show with Vanilla Ice and others, an MC Hammer/Bobby Brown gig and more, outdoors at the PNE Amphitheatre.
• RELATED STORY: ZZ Top cancels PNE concert due to drummer’s illness, Cheap Trick to fill in.
JUST ANNOUNCED! Cheap Trick will be playing The PNE Fair’s Summer Night Concert series on Sunday, August 18! Tickets go on sale tomorrow, August 10th at 10AM PST. Current ZZ Top ticketholders will be contacted by email. For more info, visit https://t.co/aunKhTLD6r pic.twitter.com/5Hk8XAkyRF
— PNE Events / Playland (@PNE_Playland) August 9, 2019
In the Pacific Coliseum daily at 7:30 p.m., Tyrone Reveen’s “Superconscious Experience” show follows in the footsteps of his famous father, allowing audience members “to become the stars in one of the wildest and funniest shows of illusion and hypnosis that has left millions of people crying with laughter all over the world.”
The fair’s Revel District will feature food, entertainment and mechanical bull riding in a newly re-imagined zone, with a “Mexican experience” at the Corona Bar, I LOVE Churros, Los Tacos Hermanos and slushie margarita bar. Also, a “For the Love of Drag” show will feature some of Vancouver’s drag superstars, plus comedy by Mike Wood and Mama Lou’s feats of strength.
Also new this year is Electric Fire, a nightly “pyro musical finale” starting at 10:15 p.m.
In the Rollerland building, a “Snap Happy: A Do-It-Yourselfie Experience” promises an interactive array of colorful installations and playful art exhibits, and a “Game Changer Exhibit” in the Garden Auditorium showcases the evolution of video games.
Elsewhere, a “Super Action Academy” on the BCAA Toon City Stage allows young fair-goers to have a chance to put on their superhero costume and join the action themselves.
The fair’s returning favourites include The President’s Choice SuperDogs (daytime shows at the Pacific Coliseum), PNE Prize Home (located west of the Agrodome), Knights of Valour (Agrodome), Dueling Pianos (Revel District piano bar, nightly), Mobile Hot Shop glass art, roving PNE PEP Band and Dinosaur Stomp exhibit (Italian Gardens area).
We have so many exciting new food vendors joining us this year at the PNE Fair – including the Buddha-full food bus! Head over to https://t.co/dD8EPdyHGc to see the full list of new food options. pic.twitter.com/dLYVpTQ85Z
— PNE Events / Playland (@PNE_Playland) August 10, 2019
More than 10 per cent of the food booths at this year’s fair will be new in 2019, with an increased focus on plant-based, vegan and vegetarian options. New vegetarian options come from a number of new food vendors including Govinda’s Vegan Vegetarian Street Food stand featuring Dragon Bowls, and Atomic Tacos and Buddha-Ful Vegetarian Food.
New additions to the traditional fair food include Bacon Pancakes, Butter Beer Ice Cream, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Corndogs, Funnel Cake Pizza, Jalapeno Lemonade, Foot Long French Fries, Devil’s Ramen, the Tipsy Unicorn Dry Ice Drink, Pulled Pork Tater Tot Nachos, Pizza Perogies, The Snickly Dog, Pickle Pizza, Pickle Flavour Cotton Candy, Rice Burgers, Traditional Mexican Street Corn and Watermelon Candy Floss.
For fair admission rates and more PNE Fair details, visit pne.ca. or call 604-253-2311.
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