My childhood may be over, but that doesn’t mean playtime is. ~Ron Olson
The CNE has come and gone as it does every year – bringing with it entertainment, international foods and exhibits, horse shows, and lots of other thrills. Many like me fondly speak of it as the “Ex.” Torontonians, out-of-towners, and tourists alike enjoy the fun of a big fair. “The CNE is held at Exhibition Place, which is a 192-acre site located along Toronto’s waterfront on the shores of Lake Ontario and just west of downtown Toronto. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and GO Transit provide easy transportation to the CNE with stops at Exhibition Place. The site features several buildings—many of which have been named significant under the Ontario Heritage Act—roads named after the Canadian provinces and territories, parks, fountains, plazas, a rose garden, statues and parking lots. The fair itself consists of a variety of pavilions, exhibits, shows, concerts, a working farm, horse show, casino, and a large carnival midway with rides, games and food. What used to be an exhibition just for agriculture and technology has now turned into an event for families and people of all ages to enjoy. Entertainment, thrills, and the wide variety of international foods are just some of the attractions that the CNE has to offer. To many people in the Greater Toronto Area and the surroundings communities, the CNE is an annual family tradition.”
The Ex closed on Labor Day and I was there having a whale of a time last Friday. There’s something exciting about going and mingling with all of these adults and children at play. I forget that I’m a grown woman and that there are real problems going on all over the world – outside of these gates. The “child” in me comes out. These are some of the images that I captured while I was there and had fun collaging. One of my favorite buildings is the International Building.
The sand sculptures were very beautiful and show great creativity and artistry. I used to like making sand castles when I was a little girl. It would have been fun to have had a sand artist around to learn some real sculpting techniques.
This booth in the International Building attracted my attention because of the beautiful dark blue/turquoise combination in most of their wares. I remember seeing lots of “evil eyes” when I was in Greece and bringing many back for my friends as souvenirs. They were very cheap in the Plaka. I had never really known about them before. They are, in fact, meant to ward off evil. “The Nazar Boncuk charm (or Evil Eye Bead) is an “eye”, often set on a blue background. It stares back at the world to ward off the evil spirits and keep you safe from harm. Since then the people have been attaching this evil eye bead to everything they wished to protect from the evil eyes. From the new-born babies to their horses or even to the doors of their homes… This tradition still lives in Turkey. The glimmering evil eye beads that are hand made with ancient methods by a very few glass masters, are distributed from Anatolia to the whole world.” Many people all over the world use these symbols for their attractiveness, as well as for the folklore behind them.
This booth with hijabs was very interesting for me as I had never been into a store with so many before. This is the head-dress worn by Muslim women after the age of puberty and shows their modesty.
The tableware here was simply stunning. If I could have transported some of these to my home, I would have bought many pieces. The lady who was in the booth said they were from Syria. Aren’t they beautiful?
I like the rich gold, red, and black, that comes out in these sculptures. The expressions on the faces bring to mind happiness and contentment. My visits to Thailand were memorable and enjoyable.
The photo in the middle of this collage shows a lady from Africa selling bracelets she made in Africa. She was very beautiful and dressed in native splendor. She herself came up to me and told me she made the bracelets and showed them to me. The other two images are from the Cuban booth but they go together well with the one in the middle for the purposes of this collage.
Bridal wear and bridesmaid’s dresses have changed over the years. It was nice to go back in time and see what was worn in the past.
Last, but not least, is the Zen booth below. There were lots of scrolls with words of wisdom for the more serious types who visited the CNE. Hope you enjoyed all the collages.
