Exhibition Place — Local services in Toronto

My childhood memories of how magical the CNE is has now been shared with my Grandgirls. We hopped on the go( kids ride free) and enjoyed an action packed, non stop gut laughing day at the ex. (No rides as they are saving up to go to wonderland) Forecast called for rain so we enjoyed a less crowded day and managed to hit up the kids world animal exhibit. The kids enjoyed the 'be a farmer for a day,' activity as well as feeding the alpacas and seeing all the animals. I was disappointed they were not in the animal/horse area as part of the memories involved the horse show. The kids brought their own $ to play the games. As an adult we know the games are stacked against winning the big stuffies but we recall the enjoyment these silly games bring. I insisted the kids play the fish game as you are guaranteed a win each time. They were quite happy to walk away with a stuffed animal( dollar store variety 🤣) Sadly majority of games are 10$ but we gravitated toward the bowling ball 25cent game( of course we knew it would be a 10$ game soon enuf...well maybe 20$ or even 30$ as we converted our paper money to coin as each girl perfected the roll and managed to work together to upsize the coveted 2toed sloth stuffy🤣😉) We finally came to a consensus and decided we had spent enuf and walked away from the excitement. We managed to walk into the kiosk that contained the coveted ice cream waffle( the authentic one from my childhood) 5$ for a much smaller rendition but nonetheless a culinary delight! We enjoyed the treat as we headed to the dog show. I have always wanted to see this in my adult years but never managed to make it on past visit. We got there 20 minutes before the show and it was sooooo worth it as these dogs put on a spectacular show. I think the girls loved meeting them after the show as much as the show itself. We tried to locate the aerial show but seemed to miss that and it was now time to head to the FOOD building. And thankfully given the sopping forecast, crowds were minimal and there was no waiting as we each selected something different. One wanted the spaghetti ( no sauce ;) poutine for the eldest and Chinese for the middle one. Each child enjoyed their choices, shared with each other and were happy with their selections. Be prepared to shell out for meals as sadly they do reflect what is happening in the rest of the world...inflation has hit the CNE. At least 15-20$ per. We did bring water and there are water filling stations throughout the grounds. Although the prices have skyrocketed, some notable changes in animals and shows, this place will always get a 5 star rating as it still is magical and memorable...

This review is for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, held at the Exhibition Place:

Always an amazing time and for a number of years I have made it a point to go yearly to this show of agriculture. I went regularly as a child in the 1980s/1990s and have so many happy memories of the horses (I was always amazed at the sight of the draft horses), the petting zoo, and what was always a favorite of mine, the Superdogs show.

There have been several changes since my childhood visits. The petting zoo was once able to be walked through; while they still have a popular petting zoo you can no longer mingle with the animals in the corral, I can imagine they no longer due this due to liability issues but you can still pet/feed the animals through the fences. There was once a popular Celebration of Dogs that featured several breeds and you were able to talk to the breeders and pet their dogs; this is no longer. There are more vendors, selling various gifts, farm equipment, and food to a larger degree than I remember, so to me, it seems like it has become more commercial.

Edit for the 2022 edition; a confomation-based dog show was back after several years. Sadly the petting zoo wasn't here and I miss the Christmas trees; I'll take it over the entertainment stage that is there now

Edit for the 2023 edition: Sadly the conformation dog show wasn't brought back. A petting zoo of sorts was brought back but I feel Rockton World's Fair did a better job with their farm animal/agricultural education tent though pretty similar. I fee it is important to have hands-on encounters to get a better appreciation of the many breeds of livestock that are out there and lets face it, how many city-based kids get to experience the fun of hand-feeding and/or petting a friendly cow, a goat, horses, etc? It's through these petting zoos that I learned to love farm animals!

Still, regardless of the changes, a yearly must for me and an experience I recommend for all, regardless of your age; there is a lot to take in, learn and enjoy at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair!

Edit: Visited again in 2024 and overall had a fun visit, but one suggestion I have is to make the ambassador animals more accessible to the public. Give them breaks so that they're not stressed etc but these animals bring a name to the fair and I think it'd be great for the public to meet them.

Also, bring back the giant Christmas trees! They...

CNE Guest Services/Customer Relations,

I wanted to share some concerns regarding my recent visit to the CNE on September 1, 2025. I had purchased two admission and ride tickets through my work site (Perkopolis), and while I was looking forward to a fun experience, several incidents left me feeling embarrassed and disrespected. Entrance Pathway Incident (around 4:30 PM): While trying to take a quick photo of my guest with the CN Tower in the background, a staff/security member suddenly shouted at us to “move, get out of the way” in a very loud and disrespectful tone. I understand this was a pathway for gators/emergency vehicles, but there were no vehicles present, and a polite reminder would have been more appropriate. Sky Ride Lineup Incident (around 7:30 PM, near BMO Field/Entrance 3 side): • The line was very crowded, and while I was simply standing with everyone else, another guest told me not to stand close to her. I complied and gave her space, but it felt unnecessary and uncomfortable. • At the check-in for the Sky Ride, the ride attendant (an older white male wearing glasses) looked at my phone pass and immediately said, “bullshit, here’s another one with bullshit.” This was extremely disrespectful, humiliating, and completely unprofessional in front of other guests. I was not given a chance to clarify or even understand the issue with my ticket. Instead, he dismissed me by saying, “just don’t bother, go ahead.” • If I had been informed that I needed a wristband or a ride card, I would have gladly stepped aside, corrected the mistake, or even chosen to continue walking the grounds instead. Being called out in that manner was very upsetting and unnecessary. Guest Interaction After Incident: Immediately after, I noticed another couple in line staring at me, and the girlfriend moved her boyfriend’s wallet as if she assumed I would steal it. This left me feeling embarrassed, stereotyped, and singled out, adding to the negative experience.

Overall, what was meant to be an enjoyable outing turned into a very unpleasant and disheartening experience. I truly believe respectful communication from staff can make a significant difference for guests. I hope CNE takes these concerns seriously so future visitors do not go through similar experiences.

Thank you for your time...