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Although attendance for the opening day of the 145th annual CNE was up by about 10,000 people last Friday, Saturday’s record downpour (which led to the fair having to delay or even shut down certain events) likely contributed toward the lower attendance throughout the rest of the opening weekend.
Toronto-Pearson International Airport reported that 128.3 mm of rain fell during the Aug 17 storm, which led to widespread flooding in some areas of the city (somewhat reminiscent of the July flood). That storm also brought Pearson’s total rainfall for the summer up to 475.8 mm, surpassing the record for the most rain over the summer.
Darrell Brown, CEO of the CNE, told the Toronto Star that every 30 minutes for several hours they had to shut down rides, take people off, or wait until there was clearance to start them up again.
The fair was also likely affected by ticket sales from festivalgoers who might have avoided going outside altogether due to weather alerts or people who found it too chilly heading into Monday (Toronto’s average high for Aug 19 is about 25.4°C; this past Monday, temperatures hovered at around 17°C but dipped to an average of 14.9 C as the day progressed).
Brown confirmed with the Star that the opening weekend numbers (he didn’t share the exact numbers) were significantly lower than in previous years, but said he’s optimistic for the remainder of the event.
“It tends to be a slow build as we move forward. As we get closer to school time, the attendance builds,” Brown told the publication. “So we’re not overly concerned at this point.
The forecast for this weekend looks good too! There’s no rain on the forecast for the next 7 days, with average highs of between 24°C and 26°C and lows between 17°C and 21°C.
Despite this year’s opening weekend, the fair is a huge draw for tourism. Last year, the CNE received over 1.6 million visitors. A 2024 Economic Impact Assessment reported that the fair generates an estimated $112 million for the GTA and more than $143 million for Ontario annually.
The CNE will continue until Sept. 2 this year, from 10 am to midnight at Exhibition Place in Toronto. The midway is open from 11 am to midnight on weekdays and 10 am to midnight on weekends. Before you head out, make sure to read up on everything you need to know about the CNE as well as the 19 new food vendors coming to the CNE this year.
