Let the spectacle begin.
The whir of cotton candy machines and rollercoaster wheels cranked up along Toronto's lakeshore on Friday as the Canadian National Exhibition, billed as the country's largest annual fair, opened its gates.
The Ex, as it is known, will run from Friday through Labour Day on Sept. 3., for the event's 129th year.
The festive mixture of animal shows, games of chance and daredevil carnival rides — not to mention the quasi-addictive miniature doughnuts and bursting corn dogs the size of police batons — draws about 1.3 million visitors each year, according to organizers.
This year's event features nightly street and aerial acrobatic performances, as well as a daily explosion of sibling rivalry that pits two duelling human cannonballs, David Smith Jr. and his sister Jennifer, against each other.
One of the highlights each year is the Labour Day weekend air show, which will be held Sept. 1-3, weather permitting, and features a variety of aircraft, including Canada's Snowbirds aerial acrobatic team.
The exhibition was founded in 1879 to showcase agriculture and other industries.
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