Step right up folks! The PNE. Aug 25

We always have a blast hanging out with Alex & Alicia, but coupled with a night at the PNE? Hilarious.    I forgot how much cheesy fun can be found within the fairgrounds. Part of the adventure is always trying to find parking. After circling neighbourhood streets, we eventually caved and parked our car at someone's house a few blocks away. We were savvy though, some people actually wanted you to leave your keys with them, you know, in case they had to move your car. I'll file that under "I don't think so." 

We weren't even in the gates half an hour before Smiley's shirt was covered in big buttery grease stains from eating corn on the cob. He kept asking me throughout the evening, "can you still see the stains?" There was no way you couldn't see them. They had created a new pattern across the front of his shirt.  The food seems nostalgically the same: corndogs, cotton candy, snow cones, burgers, and of course, the best stand, that cannot be missed: Mini donuts! We made sure to snag a bag on the way in....and another for the road home, you know, just in case we needed emergency snacks.

This year the PNE has a lot of big names rolling through town to celebrate their 100th anniversary, with concerts included in your admission, like: Bryan Adams, The Beach Boys, Cyndi Lauper...on our night it was Huey Lewis & The News. What I found so funny is that the Superdogs had a bigger venue than the bands- they performed at the Coliseum, complete with thumping music and neon lights. When the lights dimmed, I found myself cheering loudly, temporarily forgetting I was about to watch a dog show and wasn't at a concert. We also had a beer and caught an Eagles tribute band. They were actually really good.  It was entertaining to see their groupies forming front and center - bleach blondes who were screaming at them at the top of their longs, which made me wonder if they realized that these guys were a COVER band. 

The rides, the carnies, the games, the spectacle -the PNE is definitely a fun night out. And we actually made it out of the gates without purchasing a Sham-Wow.  Success.

For details on this year's PNE, click here