The Sea to Sky Swinger. Photo: PNE
If you’re looking for summer fun for all ages, head to the Pacific National Exhibition at Hastings Park in East Vancouver, known to locals as the PNE. The annual PNE Fair is on from August 17 to September 2, but there are other events at the PNE all summer long.
PNE Fair
Hastings Park has hosted an annual summer fair since 1910. This year’s PNE Fair takes place from August 17 to September 2 (closed August 19 and 26) and features lots of fun attractions and exhibits.
Agricultural Displays: A tradition since 1910, the PNE’s agricultural displays include a kids’ petting farm, a 4-H Festival, livestock barns, and more.
Canoe Cultures: Watch live demonstrations of Indigenous canoe carving and learn how Indigenous people preserved salmon at the fish-drying rack.
Cooking Stage: Catch three daily cooking demonstrations from BC’s top chefs as they highlight local ingredients.
Dinosaurs Around the World: Learn about plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and the dinosaur age in this interactive outdoor exhibition.
Fair Food: With over 50 vendors from local food trucks to long-time fair favourites like mini donuts, you’re bound to find something mouth-watering.
The Market: An indoor market with over 90 vendors selling a wide variety of products.
Music in the Park: Enjoy live music each evening on the Freedom Mobile Stage.
PNE Express Train: Ride the minute train through the forests of the Sanctuary in Hastings Park.
Remix Inferno: Catch nightly musical and pyrotechnic performances at the Freedom Mobile Stage.
Super Dogs: Your favourite dog performers are back with four shows a day. This year the theme is Hollywoof: A Night at the Oscars.
Musical performances at the PNE Amphitheatre. Photo: PNE
Playland
Playland is Vancouver’s biggest amusement park, located at the east end of the PNE grounds. Playland is open from Wednesday to Sunday in July and August. It’s also open every day of the PNE Fair. Playland features rides and games for all ages including mini-golf, a climbing wall, a log flume ride, and several roller coasters.
The historic Wooden Roller Coaster dates back to 1958 and reaches speeds of 45 miles per hour. New for 2024 is the ThunderVolt, Canada’s fastest electric launch coaster. The three-car train blasts off with 1.3 Gs of acceleration as you travel through an illuminated tunnel, and up a steep incline before experiencing an 18-meter drop.
You can purchase one-day or season passes in two categories. The Fun Pass gets you access to family-friendly rides and attractions, while the Thrill Pass adds on the more intense rides like the Pirate Ship, Hellevator, and Wooden Roller Coaster. Note: there is a minimum height requirement of 45 to 56″ (depending on the ride) for Thrill Pass rides.
Playland at night. Photo: PNE
Summer Night Concerts
The Pacific Coliseum on the PNE Grounds hosts the Summer Nights Concert Series each night from August 17 to September 2. This year’s featured artists include oldies favourites like Burton Cummings, Colin James, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and Blondie, country star Brad Paisley, hip hop artists like Flo Rida and Ludacris, and lots more.
Photo: PNE
Minimaker’s Explorers Kids Camps at Playland
Kids 8 to 12 can learn about STEM at Minimaker’s Explorers Kids Camps at Playland this summer. These day-long camps make the physics and engineering behind Playland’s rides real through hands-on science experiments.
Photo: PNE
Hastings Park
The venue for the PNE Fair is Hastings Park, one of Vancouver’s largest parks. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the fair to connect with nature. Visit the Sanctuary, a nine-acre forested area in the middle of the park, to wander the pathways over bridges and between ponds. Or head to Il Giardino Italiano, an area of Italian-style gardens with burbling fountains and stone sculptures.
Il Giardiano Italiano at Hastings Park. Photo: City of Vancouver