Monday is the last day of the 113th annual Fair at the PNE, and organizers say they are on track to beat last year’s attendance numbers.
The fair welcomed almost 530,000 visitors in 2022, and they say this year’s attendance numbers will be up “significantly.”
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“The combination of new attractions, the Summer Night Concerts lineup, and traditional favourites really resonated with our guests this year,” said PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost, who calls the 2023 fair a “tremendous success.”
“The attendance was strong and feedback was exceptional,” she said.
Whether or not attendance will be back to pre-COVID levels remains to be seen, however. In 2019, the last pre-pandemic year, the fair had 730,000 visitors. In 2020, the annual fair was canceled with the exception of a “drive-thru experience” that included agricultural displays and some food offerings, including Hunky Bills and mini donuts. Once it reopened in 2021, total attendance was around 239,000 — just over 30 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
Limited quantities of $25 general admission tickets were just released for the Blue Rodeo: 30 Years in July concert, tonight!
This will be the final night of the historic PNE Amphitheatre. Get your tickets now to be a part of this historic moment! https://t.co/WUuCBQCCaF pic.twitter.com/XGjAprGpPj
— PNE Fair / Playland (@PNE_Playland) September 4, 2023
Blue Rodeo is the headliner for the final Summer Nights concert on the last night of the fair this year. Monday is also the last day to buy tickets for the PNE Prize Home, which this year is a four-bedroom house in Langley valued at around $2.3 million. The grand prize draw will take place Sept. 11.
Frost said that for the rest of the year, she expects they will host over a million guests on the grounds for fall and winter events, which include Fright Nights and the PNE Winter Fair.