The Bandshell was dedicated on August 28, 1936, by Ontario Premier
Mitchell Hepburn, Toronto Mayor
Sam McBride and the
Lord Mayor of London Sir
Percy Vincent at the opening of the Canadian National Exhibition. Highlighting the initial musical program was the
Kneller Hall Band of
Great Britain and the
Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The Bandshell replaced the 1906
bandstand in the park,
Don McLean,
The Guess Who, In 1967, for the
Canadian Centennial, the Bandshell was enclosed in a "One Hundredth Birthday Cake", with tall candles, at a cost of . On August 25, 2003, as part of the CNE's 125th anniversary celebrations, and as part of ''Kid's Day'', a
Guinness World Record was set by the Bandshell as
Sesame Street's
Elmo hosted the largest
Hokey Pokey song and dance routine. The number of participants recorded was 4,431. The record was subsequently broken in 2010. The Bandshell is the site of the annual opening ceremonies for the CNE, often opened by dignitaries. In the past various Canadian Governor Generals have spoken at the opening ceremonies. Canadian Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King opened the fair in 1947 with a speech. In recent years, Bandshell Park has hosted the Toronto Festival of Beer and the CHIN International Picnic. File:CNE Bandshell under construction 1936.jpg |View of bandshell under construction in 1936 File:Cne bandshell south elevation 1937.jpg |View of south elevation of CNE bandshell in July 1937 File:Cne bandshell north elevation 1937.jpg |View of north/front elevation in July 1937 == See also ==