And last, but certainly not least, we have the food, which the Ex is legendary for. You'll likely spend more time than planned gawking at (and indulging in) wacky culinary creations, both new-this-year and tried-and-true. Standouts just for their wow — or, depending on your taste, yuck — factor are a Biscoff ice cream fried chicken sandwich (from Los Vietnamita), a kimchi-topped fried dumpling served over ice cream (from K-Dee's Twisted Gourmet & Co), and frozen watermelon that's been battered and deep fried (from Mr. Pickle). Or, stick with the trusted staples: $1.99 pasta (Primo Spaghetti), a slab of ice cream sandwiched between warm waffles (Original Ice Cream Waffle), corned beef (Montreal Deli), perogies (Supreme Perogies, Pierogies Inc., and others), and countless other dishes. Gates to this year's CNE will open at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 15, and it runs until Labour Day evening.