Posts Tagged ‘midway’

Let’s go to the Ex!

Posted: September 1, 2017 in events, people
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Late August in Toronto means that the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)  is in town.  Today, since Labour Day weekend is upon us and summer is drawing to a close, I thought that I’d post this year’s crop of photos from the Ex.   Food, games, rides, and people watching fun!

evening photo, darkness, bright lights of the signs for curly fries, spiral spuds and fresh cut fries, food for sale at the ex

below: Elsa parades through the CNE grounds

a float in a parade shaped like Elsa from the movie Frozen, passes through the exhibition grounds.

below: Family games

a young boy throws a ball ina Skee Ball game while his sister and parents watch

young man concentrating as he shoots water into a target at a game at the CNE

woman running a game at the CNE, she is surrounded by prizes such as stuffed minions and other animals

woman running a game at the CNE, she is surrounded by prizes such as stuffed minions and other animals

below: An arm down, and just three feet, on number 21

from below, two people riding on the Skyride, an arm hangs over the side, and there appear to be only three feet

below: The excitement (and terror?) of CNE rides.

two young women on a ride at the ex

two young women on a ride at the ex

below: On the Skyride with the CN Tower in the distance

on the Skyride at the Ex, overlooking the CNE below, people walking around, booths selling food such as mini donuts and spiral spuds

below: Riding high above the minions.

two people ride on the Skyride above the midway at the ex, a large minion, stuffed toy prize, hangs below them

Whac-a-mole game prizes on the CNE midway, people

the eyes of a large blue stuffed bear peaking from behind a woman's arm

people walking past games atthe CNE, stuffies hanging from the roofs of game stalls

muslim woman in burka stands by a small tree with a stroller laiden down with parcels and bags, other people at the Ex are in the background

below: Elvis Stoyko carried the Canadian flag at the closing of the ice skating & aerial acrobatics show at the Ricoh Centre.

Elvis Stoyko carries a Canadian flag at the end of the ice skating show at the Ex, some of the crowds in the seats can be seen in front of him

below: Choose a ducky to see what prize you’ve won!

reaching for a yellow rubber ducky with black glasses and bright red lips, ducks are floating in water, a game of luck on the midway at the CNE

below: Beer bottle targets and the mess that results.

rows of empty beer bottles as targets at a midway game of throwing balls at bottles, broken glass below, stuffed animal prizes hanging above

a man with a pool cue playing a game at the CNE midway, with a woman with an armful of large stuffed prizes behind him

below: Rainbow coloured versions of the poop emoji were very popular this year.

a young girl in a hat that is a rainbow coloured poop emoji

below: Some people have more luck than others!

a woman carrying two stuffies and a skateboard, one is a large blue dinosaur and the other is a large pink creature

below: Gathering the spun cotton candy

a man collected cotton candy that is spinning in vats in front of him

two young men sit on stools beside a midway game at the ex while they eat

people around a food vendor at the CNE, fries,

below: Only a few can sleep through the crowds and noise of the Ex!

a baby is asleep in a stroller while the adult bets at a game of chance at the Ex. The baby has a large stuffed brown bear

The Ex!

Posted: August 30, 2016 in events
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Hey you!
Been to the Ex yet?

a man dressed in costume, white face, bobby hat, white gloves and a red and white striped shirt

An end of summer tradition since 1879… although a lot has changed since then!

below: The midway, 1937 (photo source: history section, CNE website)

an old black and white photo of the midway at the CNE taken in 1937, lots of people in period clothes, an olf tilt-a-whirl ride also in the picture.

below:  Part of the midway this year.  Rides, games and food! … oh, and people!

looking down the CNE midway towards the CN tower in the late afternoon as the sun gets low, riders overhead on the Skyline ride, lots of people walking, lots of signs for games and food.

midway game, shoot out, early evening, lights on, people walking in front, ferris wheel in the distance.

Games of skill

many people playing a midway game at the Ex involving rolling a bowling ball up a short alley. Prizes hand all around them.

And games of chance (gambling, if you will)

two young men in blue shirts working at one of the midway gambling games, with another man standing behind the counter

a young boy pokes his around his mother to watch her as she plays a gambling game on the midway at the Ex

Rides that turn you upside down,

young women upside down on the Fire Ball midway ride, their long hair hanging down.

make you scream,

two people upside down on a ride at the CNE,

swing you around,

a young couple kissing on a swing that is up high

drop you,

people wait in line for a ride that takes up up in the air and then drops you. A group has just begun their trip upwards.

jostle you around,

a mother and daughter enjoying a ride, like a roller coaster, as it comes around a corner.

and let you laugh with friends. 

two girls coming down a large, multi lane, slide, holding hands and laughing

below: And, hey look, the pink and blue ride in the background, that’s a tilt-a-whirl ride.  It’s a bit different from the 1937 version pictured above but the concept is still the same.

a couple ride on a midway ride at the Canadian Exhibition, behind them is the blue and pink tilt-a-whirl ride

Food… deep fried almost anything you want!

people standing in front of food vendors that ate brightly lit up, selling deep fried food such as deep fried oreos, deep fried pickles, as well as chicken and corn dogs.

The Ex…  The CNE…  call it what you will.
Have fun!

lots of people in swings suspended by chains, about to twirl around at the CNE

late evening on the midway at the Canadian National Exhibition, water game at the ex, piled high with stuffed prizes, and some people playing the game and some people watching the game

Two young Asian men on a ride, they are lying on their stomachs and appear to be flying, in circles, with the ex midway behind them

a young woman is screaming as a ride takes her around in circles, she is slightly blurry because of the speed of the ride

a young black man wearing a turd hat and talking into a microphone as he tries to get people interested in playing the game he's working at. A wall of stuffed prizes is behind him including yellow pokemons

a group of young people around a counter playing a game of chance outdoors, at a fair, the cne

a very large inflatable yellow ducky with bright red beak and black sunglasses, standing beside a pick-a-duck game with a wall of stuffed yellow ducks behind it

blog_catching_skyline_riders_cne

into the night at the CNE

Posted: August 21, 2014 in events, people
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another August, another trip to the Ex!

 

Evening shot as the sky is getting darker. Tiny Tom donut stand all lit up, with a line up of people waiting to buy donuts.

Tiny Tom Donuts, an iconic part of the CNE for as long as I can remember.

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Two acrobatic women hanging from a large triple hook shaped bar suspended from the ceiling. Bathed in blue light.

One of this year’s shows is ‘Mirage’, an acrobatic show at the Ricoh Coliseum.

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Two people on a rope in yellow and purple lights. Part of the audience can be seen in the photo.

another part of the ‘Mirage’ show

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A boy wearing a fedora is standing beside one of the midway games. He is holding a coke bottle with the name Jeff on it. Behind him is a large picture of 3 stars.

A star on the midway. The coke bottle says Jeff.

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Two young men are hammering away at Whac-a-mole while a woman who is running the game is talking to the people who are watching

playing Whac-a-Mole!

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A number of people are competing to win a stuffed monkey. They are shooting water into a target.

shooting for monkeys, Curious George as the prize

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A groups of young people are playing a midway game where you toss balls. What they are throwing them at is not in the photo!

Having fun tossing baseballs!

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CNE midway game with the prize being a stuffed minion from the movie 'Despicable Me'. A woman is paying to play.

getting ready to play for minions

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A young man is sitting by a giant roulette wheel, a midway game at the Ex

waiting for the wheel to stop

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Lights on one of the midway rides, Starship.

Starship lights and motion on the midway

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A display of candy apples for sale. Some are coated with smarties candies, some with multi coloured sprinkles and some with crushed nuts.

yum, candy apples… caramel, smarties, sprinkles and crushed nuts!

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Sand sculpture of a woman sitting on the ground, looking wistfully through a round window. In the background are some woman standing behind a wood barricade who are looking at the sand sculpture

women watching, sand sculpture

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Details of a sand sculpture (hands) with another sculpture behind (of a woman)

women from another angle

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A father and his daughters are on a midway ride, spinning in red "seats" as they go around in circles.

spinning quickly on the midway – or at least a bit too quickly for the camera!

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The Ex

Posted: August 31, 2013 in events
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An evening at the Canadian National Exhibition

A warm August evening.

Admission is only $5 if you go after 5 p.m., and if you don’t mind a few crowds!

A view from the Sky Ride. Downtown Toronto with the CN tower is in the background. Midway rides and games can be seen.

Riding the Sky Ride over the CNE midway

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A fast food stand at the Ex, selling cheeseburgers, sausages, deep fried Mars bars, and other unhealthy food!

The Ex has always been a place to buy unhealthy, “interesting” food! Deep fried Mars bars, Twinkies, and Oreos are just some of the goodies available.

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birds eye view of the midway. multicoloured roofs over midway game stalls, lots of people walking around

The midway is also where you will find many games to play! Many ways to spend your money if you”re feeling lucky.

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A wall of stuffed toys - Bart Simpsons and South Park characters

Stuffed toys – the most popular midway game prize.

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two of the midway rides - the swings and a ferris wheel

Spinners

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many people in a line up waiting to get on the Zipper ride

line-ups are an inevitable part of a summer evening at the CNE

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Some people in a line up waiting to get on a ride, the Twister ride is in the background

waiting for the Twister

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two kids on a large bumble bee, one of the rides in Kid Land at the CNE

Happily riding the bumble bees in Kid Land.

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blurred lights in red, white and blue, as one of the rides spins around

the CNE website:   http://theex.com/

more photos: http://www.asIwalkToronto.com/cne.html

other people’s photos:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/1520887@N23/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/cne/

Twilight photo - Sky Ride above, midway games all lit up, people in the foreground

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