Those Little donuts

THOSE LITTLE DONUTS... ARE THEY WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION? 




Global News : Monday, August 29, 2011 12:00 AM

Read it on Global News: PNE admission costs a pretty penny for families 

VANCOUVER - With the cost of just about everything on a steady climb, how does a family find the money to do more than just put food on the table and a roof over their head? 

Take the Fair at the PNE, where just one day of fun could blow a large hole in your weekly budget. 

There are ride and game passes, food and drinks, games, and, of course, parking. The average cost of attending the Fair for a family of four with two kids over the age of 13 is over $300. 

One fair goer says it is definitely not something you can do every day. 

“It definitely increased, probably due to inflation. It definitely went up like everything else.” 

The cost of some games has more than doubled compared to last year. 

“It is slower, so Playland is trying to make more money with whatever they have,” says one game vendor. 

Even though many food vendors have not raised their prices in years, they are taking a huge hit. 

“[The business is down] by probably around 50 per cent. We used to be busy all the time. And now, we just kind of stand here and clean all the time,” says one server. 

A day at the PNE can buy an average family a yearly family pass to the Vancouver Aquarium and Science World. 

PNE officials won’t release attendance numbers, but say they don’t believe the rates are pricing families out of coming. 

“We have done things like make it free for children under 13 each and every day of the Fair,” says Laura Ballance with the PNE. “We have a free day, so people who can’t afford the admission can certainly come. We had our opening Monday. It was free for everybody before noon.” 

The PNE also spends three million dollars in free entertainment, so there is a possibility of some cost savings. 

You just have to get creative. 


Read it on Global News: PNE admission costs a pretty penny for families 

Share