Summertime treat season kicked off pandemic-style with a special drive-thru mini donut festival this weekend that proved extremely popular.

The Pacific National Exhibition hosted a mini donut edition of Taste of the PNE dedicated to one of its signature treats that spanned Friday to Sunday and saw cars backed up along Hastings Street in Vancouver.

People used their vehicles to pick up some for the mini donuts from four of the Exhibition's signature vendors, including Tin Lizzy Donuts, Those Little Donuts, CinCity Donuts and PNE Fundunkers.

Holey 🍩s! People lined up onto Hastings to buy mini donuts ⁦@PNE_Playland⁩ . The sale will happen until Sunday 1-7pm to help concessionaires ⁦@GlobalBC⁩ pic.twitter.com/4Ar7wSAoWh

— Catherine Urquhart (@CUrquhartGlobal) May 22, 2020

Tickets for the three day drive-thru event were sold ahead of time online while customers could pay using only tap credit or debit cards.

mini donuts @PNE_Playland #Vancouver pic.twitter.com/vGD3zaZm7o

— Manpal Rana (@ManpalRana) May 24, 2020

The wait was upwards of 2 hours for the lil' guys before customers drove to a special pickup area where staff brought them their donuts and directed them out of the Playland park site.

PNE Donut Time
I am doing my 1 hour 45 min line up in a parking lot to support the #PNE #PNE2020 #Vancouver pic.twitter.com/xjznXHL28X

— Mark Teasdale ★ (@MarksGonePublic) May 23, 2020

The event totally sold out with people grateful to get even a small taste of the Exhibition food that only comes around once a year.

Drive-thru pne style for donuts pic.twitter.com/qh5eThLBSn

— patty (@PattyPchubey) May 24, 2020

Some where annoyed at the congestion the mini donut enthusiasm created along the main roadway.

As the "owner" of the PNE can @CityofVancouver Councillors explain the decision for cars to sit idling while waiting for donuts? How does this square with the city's position on #ClimateCrisis? @PtFry @christineeboyle @AdrianeCarr Photo from today. https://t.co/VYLTv35kYt pic.twitter.com/802wctCvuV

— Sherry Breshears (@BreshearsSherry) May 23, 2020

It's one of many ways cars are being utilized to adhere to physical distancing measures meant to stop the spread of the virus.

drove past the PNE and there’s a huge line of cars and we were so worried playland had opened or something but it turns out there’s a drive-thru mini donut festival going on

— sydney (@hithereimsydney) May 23, 2020

Drive-ins have started making a comeback, and while technically not an 'event', people in Mississauga haven't stopped driving to Krispy Kreme since this whole thing started.

@CinCityDonuts @PNE_Playland Thanks for the Mini Donuts today. #PNE Drive Through pickup. #Vancouver #PNE2020 pic.twitter.com/JypB3qw4PP

— Mark Teasdale ★ (@MarksGonePublic) May 24, 2020

The Toronto Zoo also recently launched its Scenic Safari that lets guests weave through the zoo from the comfort and safety of their cars.

The PNE is currently restructuring to include smaller events that adhere to health and safety protocols set out by health officals.

The mini donut drive-thru is just one of several PNE experiences being launched to support small businesses and fair vendors impacted by the pandemic.