Out & About #600 | Seasons Christmas Show + Light Up The Square

I'm no hater of early holiday promotions. Frankly, I set it as a form of taking initiative, as well as a subtle reminder to commence preparations. (The only exception is back-to-school season, when backpacks and stationery kits are inappropriately introduced in mid-July.)

​Recall my fondness for themed events, but disapproval of admission fees - for it pains to pay for entry, then pay again for retail purchases. The Seasons Christmas Show at the International Centre was a standalone case, where special circumstances had enabled hassle-free access to the GTA's best cookies. (Yes, I said it.)

The three-day event was, more or less, a festive marketplace filled with gaudy Christmas gear, unnecessary kitchen tools, and customizable stocking stuffer options. Some vendors were swell at promoting their table items, though a handful were less than apt at convincing consumers of their products' superiority.

Its main demographic was female, ranging between the ages of forty and seventy, I reckon. Beyond this group were young families, which explained the random bursts of winter boot-clad children in our peripheral.

We paraded through the aisles without much aim, then again along the perimeter and even the depths of the space, the designated sections for workshops and lectures.

Admittedly, a few items did catch my eye. Ahgase-themed earrings were spotted; while adorable, its composition was ostensibly poor.

Fraktals and their chocolate cashew buttercrunch came into view at some point during the excursion. I had difficulty resisting their tasty treats, especially given my previous experiences. Instead of an eighteen-dollar bag of bark though, I compromised on a 1 kg bag of crumbled buttercrunch to cut costs.

A coworker had introduced Chiamigos to me via an impressively fragrant bowl of Peanut Butter Chia Pudding. Against my better decision, I succumbed to curiosity in the form of BOGO instant mixes. In hindsight, I ought to have deployed more brain cells to withstand victimization by gluten-free/vegan/organic "health" traps.

Low-quality matcha, flea market-grade leggings, laser-printed tablecloths, and deceptively colourful ebay-standard bulb lights were frequent sightings.

That said, items of innovation were also witnessed. Yielding from partnerships with local Toronto breweries were wine-, craft cider-, and craft beer-infused cupcakes. Behind The Baker's Bar was a husband-and-wife duo who weren't shy to provide further details on their products; and just as seasonal beer varieties are introduced for a given period of time then banished indefinitely, the same would apply to the cupcake (and gingerbread cookie) roster.

​We stopped by a home appliance booth towards the end of our market trek. Implementing a series of heated neck, back, and feet massaging devices was a clever move to target fatigued shoppers.

​In light of my unplanned spendings, I had only one destination in mind: The Night Baker.

​The assortment of dense delicacies originating from Trinity Bellwoods' infamous cookie connoisseurs was the sole reason for my otherwise tragic parking situation.

The lineup rotated throughout the weekend, with Appledoodle on Friday and Gingerella on Saturday. Fixed installments such as The Classic, Ooh Bae, and Milk 'N Oreos persisted in presence.

Gingerella and Choco Oats were the two newcomers of mass captivation, calling forth my ungodly dessert desires. One could easily dismiss the latter as a typical oatmeal cookie with the inclusion of Belgian chocolate and cinnamon, but one nibble would would confirm the combination to be an elevated rendition of a comfort cookie.
Spicy and sweet in all the right ways, Gingerella was a hybrid of a gingerbread cookie base and oozing Nutella centre. A close second favourite to PB&B, this was a variety I desperately wish to have purchased more of.

It should also be noted that The Classic tends to reinvent itself with each opportunity: chewy with crunchy bits of walnut, satisfying with specks of sea salt, and bittersweet with frequent chunks of dark chocolate. I withdraw my initial declaration of the flavour's inability to leave a lasting impression.

As the sun began its blue-pink descent, we followed in its footsteps, westward back to City Centre grounds. A short round of games at The Rec Room later, we journeyed over to Celebration Square. And wise it was to walk the stretch, for unexpected road closures at Duke of York and Burnhamthorpe would have sent me haywire.

The 2016 and 2017 editions of the event had included a decent selection of vendors, with anything from alpaca wool sweaters to vegan shortbread on display. Fast forward to this year's annual celebration, the shopping booths had been swapped for kid-friendly photobooths (with Elsa and her crew!), a 360-degree Northern Light simulation in a pop-up Planetarium, energy-fueled musical bikes, and LED Glow Swings that took turns flashing through the intermediate colour spectrum.

Food trucks and the civic centre's very own skating rink weren't to be exempted either.

Exploration time was limited for both of us, so we quickly snatched up some samples before perusing the rest of the displays. Unfortunately, the lineup for the Planetarium was far lengthier than we would have liked, therefore causing it to go unexperienced.

I was reunited with some Antarctic friends from last year's sombre, rainy encounter. The penguins were less damp this time around, donning equally cheerful expressions albeit cloaked in murky grey veils.​

​The inflatable polar bears were the highlight of many young photo-takers. Plush on the outside and organ-less on the inside, I later learned that they weren't quite as sturdy as one would suppose

Pre-ground-hitting flailing snapshots are owed to my favourite fangirl.