I see the CNE as a sort of sad commentary on our world. When I was a kid (roughly 142 years ago) the CNE was a showplace for technology and all things new. New appliances (wow color tv look mom), new cars, new airplanes, new gizmos. The whole fair was geared to being well, an exhibition. If you had a new product you just had to display it at the CNE. The pure food building was packed with companies who promoted their products with free samples and oh man the people would happily be 100th in line to get a taste of some new product. You could go in there and eat for free until you exploded. Free cooking demonstrations free everything. This was the main way for businesses to get their products known. The better living building had only advanced products, appliances mainly , for the home. The Ontario building was half occupied by the Natural Resources folks with big fish display tanks and everything you wanted to know about outdoors Ontario. There were horse shows, agricultural exhibits with lots of fancy animals, free baseball games to watch. The deal was you went with 2 large shopping bags (although you could get these free there also) and you gathered samples and goodies until the bags were so heavy you could hardly carry them. Then you went back again the next day because there was just no way you could see everything in one full day. The midway was big and the kids loved it but it wasnt the main attraction at all. The main attraction was all the new stuff people hadnt seen before. I loved it and often would go 4-5 times each year.
Oh how things change. Now we have 200 tv stations on cable all loaded up with advertising. And the internet. Companies no longer need the CNE to showcase their products. For the high tech products many become obsolete faster than a display could be set up anyway. I used to slip down to watch a baseball game or a horse show or some band. I admit I havent been there in about 20 years. The last few times I went I was seriously disappointed. Oh there was still a carnival sort of atmosphere but the premise of the whole thing had changed. It was no longer please try a sample of this for free. Or please come be wowed by this new gizmo or look over here isnt this great. That seemed to be gone and was replaced by folks trying to sell things. Buy a sample of our new muffin. Pay to watch a horse show. Pay to see a flower show. The whole place seemed designed to grab as much cash as possible. We went to see the rodeo at the grandstand. Man what a sad show. One of the attractions was John Wayne’s horse. They dragged this poor horse out for one walk around the area. It was so old it could barely walk. The whole flavor of the CNE had changed from one of wonderment to one of crass commercialism. Even the midway games had changed. Oh sure there was still the ring toss sort of games. But sneaking in were spots where you could bet money and try to win money. Gambling with worse odds than a lottery. It wasnt the same anymore and it wasn’t better. Maybe I was just getting jaded but I never went back.
27th Street 
I see the CNE as a sort of sad commentary on our world. When I was a kid (roughly 142 years ago) the CNE was a showplace for technology and all things new. New appliances (wow color tv look mom), new cars, new airplanes, new gizmos. The whole fair was geared to being well, an exhibition. If you had a new product you just had to display it at the CNE. The pure food building was packed with companies who promoted their products with free samples and oh man the people would happily be 100th in line to get a taste of some new product. You could go in there and eat for free until you exploded. Free cooking demonstrations free everything. This was the main way for businesses to get their products known. The better living building had only advanced products, appliances mainly , for the home. The Ontario building was half occupied by the Natural Resources folks with big fish display tanks and everything you wanted to know about outdoors Ontario. There were horse shows, agricultural exhibits with lots of fancy animals, free baseball games to watch. The deal was you went with 2 large shopping bags (although you could get these free there also) and you gathered samples and goodies until the bags were so heavy you could hardly carry them. Then you went back again the next day because there was just no way you could see everything in one full day. The midway was big and the kids loved it but it wasnt the main attraction at all. The main attraction was all the new stuff people hadnt seen before. I loved it and often would go 4-5 times each year.
Oh how things change. Now we have 200 tv stations on cable all loaded up with advertising. And the internet. Companies no longer need the CNE to showcase their products. For the high tech products many become obsolete faster than a display could be set up anyway. I used to slip down to watch a baseball game or a horse show or some band. I admit I havent been there in about 20 years. The last few times I went I was seriously disappointed. Oh there was still a carnival sort of atmosphere but the premise of the whole thing had changed. It was no longer please try a sample of this for free. Or please come be wowed by this new gizmo or look over here isnt this great. That seemed to be gone and was replaced by folks trying to sell things. Buy a sample of our new muffin. Pay to watch a horse show. Pay to see a flower show. The whole place seemed designed to grab as much cash as possible. We went to see the rodeo at the grandstand. Man what a sad show. One of the attractions was John Wayne’s horse. They dragged this poor horse out for one walk around the area. It was so old it could barely walk. The whole flavor of the CNE had changed from one of wonderment to one of crass commercialism. Even the midway games had changed. Oh sure there was still the ring toss sort of games. But sneaking in were spots where you could bet money and try to win money. Gambling with worse odds than a lottery. It wasnt the same anymore and it wasn’t better. Maybe I was just getting jaded but I never went back.
There’s nothing quite like the fair at night!