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Long weekend marks the end of the season for these iconic Vancouver summer attractions

The Labour Day long weekend doesn’t only mark the official end of summer vacation for kids across the region, it’s also the last chance to take in some iconic Vancouver summer attractions.
stanley park train
The last day to ride the miniature train at Stanley Park this summer is Sept. 2. File photo Jessica Kerr

The Labour Day long weekend doesn’t only mark the official end of summer vacation for kids across the region, it’s also the last chance to take in some iconic Vancouver summer attractions.

The Stanley Park miniature train will make its last runs of the season this weekend. The train, which sees about 200,000 visitors annually, winds along a two-kilometre track through the forest pulled by one of several old locomotives in Stanley Park Railway’s collection. The jewel of that collection is a locally-built replica of Canadian Pacific Railway Engine #374, which is famous for pulling Canada’s first transcontinental passenger train into Vancouver in the late 1880s.

The train runs daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. until Monday, Sept. 2.

However, train enthusiasts don’t have to wait until next spring to ride the miniature rails. The train will be back in service in October for the annual Ghost Train event. It will also be decked out for the holidays for the annual Bright Nights in Stanley Park Christmas Train.

Labour Day weekend also means the end of the annual Fair at the PNE.

A Vancouver summer mainstay since 1910, this year’s fair combines the old traditions — Jimmy’s Lunch is celebrating 90 years of feeding fairgoers — and the new, including the Snap Happy building, which is home to recreations of iconic scenes and moments from the PNE set up to help fairgoers capture the perfect selfie.

And the annual Summer Nights Concert series at the PNE Amphitheatre finishes strong with Billy Idol (Aug. 31), the Beach Boys (Sept. 1) and TLC (Sept. 2).

Click here for more info on the Fair at the PNE.

The end of summer vacation also means the days to take a dip in one of the city’s outdoor pools are numbered.

The Kitsilano and New Brighton Park outdoor pools are open until Sept. 15, but the Second Beach pool is only open until Sept. 3.