Sure, the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is packed with midway rides, claw machines and all kinds of over-the-top food, but some of the most interesting finds are a bit easier to miss, from a hidden late-night speakeasy to Toronto’s oldest surviving house. The CNE runs through Sept. 7 this year, so here are five hidden gems and overlooked spots worth seeking out before the end of Labour Day weekend (just make sure to get a discount on admission before heading over).
1. Check out Majnoon, a hidden speakeasy open until 2 a.m.
One of this year’s most unexpected additions is Majnoon, an intimate 19+ speakeasy tucked inside the CNE Casino at the Better Living Centre. The space is nestled just beyond Layla’s Garden, an outdoor patio pop-up from Toronto restaurant and nightlife spot Soluna, and takes inspo from the centuries-old Middle Eastern love story of Layla and Majnun (sometimes compared to Romeo and Juliet). Inside, visitors will find small plates, including mini savoury pastillas, spiced-beef kafta burgers and crispy phyllo cigars, as well as a cocktail menu that plays with flavours like Turkish coffee, saffron and cardamom. Majnoon returns Sept. 4-6 from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
2. Wander through a secret garden inside the CNE Farm
The Urban Agriculture and Indigenous Healing Gardens are hidden among the animals and agricultural displays inside the Better Living Centre, and really, it’s a surprisingly leafy spot you could miss while exploring the CNE Farm! Visitors can stroll through the gardens and learn a little about urban growing and Indigenous healing plants, so definitely a nice change of pace from the midway just outside. If you want to keep exploring, the surrounding farm is filled with exhibits on everything from fruit trees to the ways food can be grown in the city.
3. Take a haunted walk through the Exhibition grounds after dark
Most people associate the CNE with screams coming from the roller coasters, but the Ex gets a lot spookier once the sun goes down. The CNE Ghost Walks take visitors through more than 200 years of haunted history on the Exhibition Place grounds! The roughly hour-long walks leave from the Princes’ Gates at 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and head through historic parts of the grounds, including the Horse Palace (the 1931 Art Deco building that still houses horses today) before ending at Scadding Cabin.
4. Grab a drink at a secret bar tucked inside the Arts & Crafts Pavilion
So, there are quite a few obvious spots to grab a drink around the CNE, but most people don’t know that there’s a bar tucked inside a place you might least associate with cocktails. The Hobby Bar is located inside the Arts, Crafts and Hobbies Pavilion in the Queen Elizabeth Building, so visitors can grab a drink while browsing the exhibits or escaping the crowds outside for a bit. The bar is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the fair, with reduced hours on Labour Day.
5. Explore Toronto’s oldest surviving house
Speaking of Scadding Cabin…if you need a break from deep-fried, well, anything, you can casually wander into the 232-year-old piece of Toronto history instead. The small log cabin was built in 1794 and is Toronto’s oldest surviving building. It originally stood on John Scadding’s property near the Don River before being dismantled and reconstructed at the exhibition grounds in 1879 (it can now be found at the west end of the exhibition grounds). The cabin is open daily during the CNE from noon to 7 p.m., with programming that brings some of its history and surroundings to life. Upcoming activities include Monarch butterfly tagging on Sept. 3 and historic stitching and hand-spinning demos on Sept. 4.