Vancouver Celebrates Opening of 116th Pacific National Exhibition Fair at Playland

VANCOUVER, BC — The gates swung open Saturday morning for the 116th annual Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) Fair in Vancouver, marking the start of British Columbia's largest end-of-summer cultural tradition.

New Attractions and Heritage Celebrations

This year's fair features the grand debut of the new $15 million "Thunderbolt" launch coaster at Playland, alongside expanded Indigenous culinary pavilions curated by Coast Salish First Nations and heritage 4-H agricultural livestock competitions.

"The PNE is where generations of British Columbians gather to celebrate our province's heritage, creativity, and community spirit," said PNE President and CEO Shelley Frost. Over 700,000 visitors are expected throughout the 15-day fair run.

Municipal Transit and Sustainability Initiatives

TransLink activated dedicated high-frequency express bus shuttles from downtown Vancouver and Phibbs Exchange to encourage sustainable transit access, while the fair introduced comprehensive zero-waste organic composting across all concession plazas.