Today was the day we visited the CNE, the go to place each summer for food, games and midway rides. It was a sunny day with the occasional breeze to cook us off. I opted to not get a ride all day pass, and to instead, film the scenery and rides as my friends spent a part of their day going on different rides altogether. However, that didn’t stop us from trying new food, shopping and participating in some games!
I will have sections for the food we had there as well as what we had bought. Before venturing away from the rides to shop and eat, my friends had decided to start off with the Niagara Falls ride (I didn’t really pay attention to the name). That ride is where riders get into this “log” (log shaped boat/roller coaster….?) which is then pulled along through water to then slide down one or two inclines. This creates a large splash upon reaching the end of the incline which will occasionally soak its riders.
Next up were some of those small roller coasters where a friend had started screaming before the ride had even started (lol her expressions were priceless!), while around that area we noticed an ice cream stall. Specifically the purple and black colored ice cream.
Next up were some of those small roller coasters where a friend had started screaming before the ride had even started (lol her expressions were priceless!), while around that area we noticed an ice cream stall. Specifically the purple and black colored ice cream.
For some reason, the ice cream started leaning to the side and my friend had to quickly finish it. The ice cream and the black waffle cone cost $10 altogether….which I’ll admit is pricey, but worth it I guess if it’s a one-time thing? I don’t know what the black ice cream tasted like but this one was blueberry.
Not long after that, we made our way to the food building to grab some food. I had this sandwich filled with lobster and crab with fries and only remembered that I was supposed to take a picture of it when I was only left with fries. However, if you’ve been to the CNE you’ll probably find it on the menu boards.
As we finished up, I went over to the Tim Horton’s stall and browsed their menu. Last year they had a 2016 CNE limited drink, the Cotton Candy chill. It tasted like cotton candy and was topped with whipped cream and cotton candy. They also had a jolly ranchers drink but I wasn’t able to try it. This year they had an m&m’s chill and an m&m’s iced capp.
Not long after that, we made our way to the food building to grab some food. I had this sandwich filled with lobster and crab with fries and only remembered that I was supposed to take a picture of it when I was only left with fries. However, if you’ve been to the CNE you’ll probably find it on the menu boards.
As we finished up, I went over to the Tim Horton’s stall and browsed their menu. Last year they had a 2016 CNE limited drink, the Cotton Candy chill. It tasted like cotton candy and was topped with whipped cream and cotton candy. They also had a jolly ranchers drink but I wasn’t able to try it. This year they had an m&m’s chill and an m&m’s iced capp.
It was a regular iced Capp with m&m’s inside scattered across the bottom and topped with whipped cream and m&ms. The price was around $5-$6 give or take for a medium.
Next stop after the food break was the Arts and Crafts building (I believe it was called that) which is where you can buy various things from different vendors or decide upon buying the items. Some vendors sold jewelry, others sold wraps and clothes and a whole lot of other things as well. There were at least three vendors selling bath bombs, I remember two selling them for $6 each or 5 for $20, the last stall sold them for $3 each, however, they were just white bath bombs. I was really tempted to buy the one labeled at pina colada, however, opted for a bar of nice smelling soap instead. The last item or items I picked up from the Arts and Crafts building were gourmet lollipops, they come in a fairly large variety featuring birthday cake, cotton candy, and root beer to name a few. They go for $5 for 6, and I make sure to pickup some when I can at the CNE or during the Royal Winter Fair.
The next stop was taking the Express train to Prince’s Gates, where you’ll find the Enercare center, the SuperDogs dog show, warehouse sales and the International Pavilion. You can find a lot of items for sale in the booths, anything from nail polish and macrons to clothes and massages. At one of the wholesale stalls, nail polish was $5 for 20 of them and gel nail polish were 10 for $10 I believe. The only thing I got from the International Pavilion were macarons, they were $2.50 each (which is about $0.50 cheaper than those you can get from Butter Avenue) or you can get a prepackaged assortment of 5 for $10.
We then made our way back to the midway where my friends lined up to ride the Blitzer, which is the larger roller coaster available there. From there on they went on a bunch of rides before we stopped to get food. They got Jumbo corn dogs for $8 and I opted for fried mozzarella sticks, the Jumbo corn dogs were pretty big and for $10 you get 5 moderately sized mozzarella sticks with a side of ranch or marinara sauce. Not a lot happened afterwards, we checked out the games and then as it started to get dark we went our separate ways to head back home.
Next stop after the food break was the Arts and Crafts building (I believe it was called that) which is where you can buy various things from different vendors or decide upon buying the items. Some vendors sold jewelry, others sold wraps and clothes and a whole lot of other things as well. There were at least three vendors selling bath bombs, I remember two selling them for $6 each or 5 for $20, the last stall sold them for $3 each, however, they were just white bath bombs. I was really tempted to buy the one labeled at pina colada, however, opted for a bar of nice smelling soap instead. The last item or items I picked up from the Arts and Crafts building were gourmet lollipops, they come in a fairly large variety featuring birthday cake, cotton candy, and root beer to name a few. They go for $5 for 6, and I make sure to pickup some when I can at the CNE or during the Royal Winter Fair.
The next stop was taking the Express train to Prince’s Gates, where you’ll find the Enercare center, the SuperDogs dog show, warehouse sales and the International Pavilion. You can find a lot of items for sale in the booths, anything from nail polish and macrons to clothes and massages. At one of the wholesale stalls, nail polish was $5 for 20 of them and gel nail polish were 10 for $10 I believe. The only thing I got from the International Pavilion were macarons, they were $2.50 each (which is about $0.50 cheaper than those you can get from Butter Avenue) or you can get a prepackaged assortment of 5 for $10.
We then made our way back to the midway where my friends lined up to ride the Blitzer, which is the larger roller coaster available there. From there on they went on a bunch of rides before we stopped to get food. They got Jumbo corn dogs for $8 and I opted for fried mozzarella sticks, the Jumbo corn dogs were pretty big and for $10 you get 5 moderately sized mozzarella sticks with a side of ranch or marinara sauce. Not a lot happened afterwards, we checked out the games and then as it started to get dark we went our separate ways to head back home.
In summary, I feel that our day at the CNE was pretty fun even considering I didn’t go on any rides. It is a good place to shop, since whatever you get there are probably coming from small businesses. So you’ll know that only a handful of people could have the same item as you and that it’s not that likely for you and another person to be wearing the same shirt and etc. Some of the food there I will say is overpriced, but if you do some careful scouting you could find good and reasonably priced food to eat. I’m not really that type of person to buy souvenirs such as the collectible cups you can get at the CNE, however, if you do decide to buy it, I won’t judge because they do look pretty cool with the swirls and all.
The admission, I’ll admit is a bit pricey as it’s $19 for the general admission tickets but I can’t really complain about that since it was a fun and memorable day out with my friends before school starts next week. Overall, I would go back to the CNE again since it only happens for two weeks every year, I can always save up money for the admission, food, and shopping. If you don’t like how pricey the admission at the gate is you can try finding the advanced tickets in July since they have the admission and ride all day passes available.
The admission, I’ll admit is a bit pricey as it’s $19 for the general admission tickets but I can’t really complain about that since it was a fun and memorable day out with my friends before school starts next week. Overall, I would go back to the CNE again since it only happens for two weeks every year, I can always save up money for the admission, food, and shopping. If you don’t like how pricey the admission at the gate is you can try finding the advanced tickets in July since they have the admission and ride all day passes available.
This blog post was in not sponsored by the CNE, and the content I’ve written down is in my honest opinion.
