Get ready to EX-cite your tastebuds! The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) is serving up an over-the-top line-up of sugary confections, unusual combinations, and mouth-watering delights that push the boundaries of flavour and imagination. On the heels of Deep-Fried Butter being inducted to the inaugural CNE Food Hall of Fame last year, butter is making its comeback – from Butter Burgers to Butter Soda…and even Butter Ice Cream!
There are more than 30 new food items to covet and discover within the CNE Midway and iconic Food Building, this year’s line-up includes Deep Fried Watermelon, Chicken Nugget Cookies, Maki Sushi Corn Dog, a UFO Burger, Spicy Habanero Bacon Cotton Candy and ‘Kreamchi’Korean Dumplings with Kimchi & Ice Cream.
Fuel up with a Black/Pink Cold Latte, refreshing Hot Honey Lemonade, or try the TikTok trending Dirty Sodas; and the best way to end a fun-filled day at the CNE is to grab an iconic warm ice cream waRle sandwich or new Butter Tart Funnel Cake for the sweetest of endings.
In addition to new food items, the CNE is oRering an elevated foodie experience with Dinner in the Sky, dining at 150ft above the Midway; and the its first-ever CNE Drag Brunch Extravaganza taking place on Sunday, August 17 with bottomless mimosas and a rare reunion of Season 1 Queens of Canada’s Drag Race: BOA, Juice Boxx, Kyne, Lemon & Tynomi Banks. Proceeds from tickets sold will be donated to a 2SLGBTQIA+ charity in the GTA. *CNE’s Drag Brunch Extravaganza and Dinner in the Sky experiences are separate ticketed events that include gate admission. To purchase these experiences and for more information, go to TheEx.com.
The 146th annual Canadian National Exhibition takes place from August 15 – September 1, 2025.
2025 CNE New Foods:
FILL ME UP, BUTTER CUP!
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Butter Ice Cream – A soft serve treat that will have you saying I can’t believe it’s butter! Sweet, salty, savoury and highly addictive.
Butter Tart Funnel Cake – Golden funnel cake and butter ice cream topped with warm caramel, pecans and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Vendor: Legend Dairy, Food Building |
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Butter Burger – A juicy, never-frozen beef patty grilled to perfection, topped with a generous pat of creamy butter that melts into every bite.
Vendor: Broedie’s Butter Burgers, Midway |
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Butter Soda s Dirty Sodas – Viral TikTok trend that combines flavoured syrup, soda drink, and coffee cream! Choose from bold, colouful blends like Dirty Candy Apple, Cotton Candy, and Coconut Monster. Or try the Butter Soda, a twist on the classic root beer float, but with butter foam instead of ice cream.
Vendor: Dirty Sodas, Midway |
THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
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Meatball Mozzarella Corn Dog – Meatball and stretchy mozzarella in corn dog batter, served with a side of marinara .
Vendor: Deep Fried Co., Food Building |
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Fruity Pebble Corn Dog – A fun take on a Korean-style corn dog (with Halal beef hot dog and mozzarella) topped with fruity pebble cereal and icing.
Vendor: Korean Dogs, Midway |
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Maki Sushi Corn Dog – Crispy cornmeal-battered sushi roll served with spicy mayo and soy glaze, on a stick.
2-Ft Hot Dog – Because bigger is better. A 24-inch beef dog grilled to perfection and loaded with your favourite toppings.
Vendor: Sam’s Grill, Midway |
UNEXPECTED PAIRINGS
| Ice “Kreamchi” Dumplings – Juicy Korean Pork Dumplings paired with ice cream, bulgogi bacon glaze, and kimchi.
Vendor: K-Dee’s Twisted Gourmet C Co, Food Truck Frenzy |
| Ice cream Sandwich Hashbrown – Two crispy hash brown patties served up with a slab of vanilla ice cream in
the middle to crush breakfast and dessert at the same time.
Vendor: Ice Cream Sandwiches, Food Building |
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| Churro Pizza – Churro meets pizza. A savoury twist on a cinnamon-sugar churro crust topped with pepperoni, melted mozzarella, and classic tomato sauce.
Vendor: Panchos Bakery, Food Building |
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| Noodle Pizza – Merging two titans of Italian food, pasta and pizza. Take a classic cheese pizza with savoury tomato sauce and add pasta noodle toppings.
Vendor: Pizza Nova, Food Building |
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| Butter Chicken Birria-Style tacos – Tacos filled with creamy butter chicken and spiced biryani rice, all wrapped in a soft taco shell. Finished with cool raita and fresh herbs.
Vendor: Rick’s Good Eats, Food Truck Frenzy |
SERVING UP BIG BURGER ENERGY
| Bisco` Fried Chicken Crunch Ice Cream Sandwich Buttermilk fried chicken rolled in Lotus Biscoff cookie crumbs, topped with vanilla ice cream, maple chili sauce, Lotus Biscoff cookie butter, carrots and daikon.
Vendor: Los Vietnamita, Food Truck Frenzy |
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| UFO Burger – Two beef smash patties, cheese, caramelized onions, bacon and Bacon Nation’s secret burger sauce, stuffed and sealed between a brioche bun.
Vendor: Bacon Nation, Food Building |
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| Smash Burger Taco – Crispy smashed beef patty in a griddled tortilla, loaded with melted cheese, pickles, and a special sauce. All the flavour of a burger, in taco form.
Vendor: Smash City, Food Building |
| Butter Chicken + Wa`les – Rick’s famous butter chicken recipe stuffed between two crispy waffles, topped off with hot maple syrup.
Vendor: Rick’s Good Eats Food Truck |
| The BACONE, with Spicy Habanero Bacon Cotton Candy – The BACONE is a puff pastry cone filled with Canadian Passion Flakie cream filling and drizzled in maple Timbit glaze, then wrapped in a fiery red Spicy Habernaro Bacon Cotton Candy and crowned with a butter tart. Sounds good, eh?
Vendor: Greekery Bakeshop, Midway |
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| Black s Pink Latte s Black/Pink Mochi Donuts – K-pop inspired beverages topped with a signature black carbon whipped cream pairs perfectly with black Oreo C pink mochi donuts.
Vendor: Marry Me Mochi, Food Building |
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| Rainbow Empanadas – Flavourful and colourful empanadas filled with a variety of stuffings from classic beef, veggie, chicken, chorizo C cheese and Hawaiian.
Vendor: Panchos Bakery, Midway |
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| Glitter Teas – Refreshing Jupiter Lavendar Tea and Venus Rose Tea flavoured drinks that truly sparkle.
Vendor: Yogen Fruz, Food Building |
| CNE Love Funnel Cake – Spreading the love with this heart-shaped funnel cake with matcha powder, ice cream and CNE spotlight logo.
Vendor: Sugar Pops |
BECAUSE FOODS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN
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The Chicken Nugget Cookies Signature Craig’s Cookie stuffed with crispy chicken nuggets, served warm with a smoky BBǪ sauce dip.
The Cotton Candy Cookie a colourful throwback to summer fun. Each cookie is wrapped in a fluffy cloud of pink or blue cotton candy. It’s cute, it’s sweet, it’s nostalgic – and totally Instagram-worthy.
Vendor: Craig’s Cookies, Food Truck Frenzy |
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Lobster Ice Cream – Sweet ice cream churned with real chunks of East Coast Lobster, folded into a rich base with just a hint of sea salt and spice.
Vendor: Blue Claw Lobster Shack, Food Truck Frenzy |
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| Deep Fried Frozen Watermelon – Social media is
obsessed with this culinary invention of dee- frying watermelon in a crispy batter, sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Vendor: Mr. Pickle, Midway |
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| Deep Fried Maple Cookies – Maple-filled cookies, battered and deep-fried until golden and gooey.
Vendor: Legend Dairy, Midway |
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Deep-Fried Pizza Slices on a Stick – Everything tastes better on a stick, including Pizza Pizza’s popular deep-fried pizza at the CNE. Slice variations include Creamy Garlic, Hot Honey and Sweet C Spicy.
Vendor: Pizza Pizza, various locations |
| Chicago Mix Popcorn Chicken Tenders –
Crispy chicken tenders coated in a blend of sweet caramel and sharp cheddar popcorn.
Vendor: Lucky Chicken, Food Building |
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| Pickle Boats – Crunchy pickle halves loaded up with unexpected toppings:
Montreal Smoked Pickle Fiesta Pickle Everything Pickle S’mores Pickle Pretzel Pickle
Vendor: Pickle Bar, Food Building |
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| Poutine Dumps – Choice of chicken or vegetarian dumplings lathered with Japanese coconut curry, torched with triple blend cheese and topped with chili crisp, green onions, crispy shallots and crispy garlic.
Vendor: Super Noodle Co., Food Building |
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| Steak Barrel BBǪ ‘ing – Discover the distinct preparation and smoky flavour of grilling foods from a barrel.
Vendor: Steak Barrels, Midway |