Last weekend was the 6th annual LA Cookie Convention and Sweets Show. With celebrity
bakers such as Duff, Ron Ben-Israel, and Malia Brauer, it seems like a fun event for all ages.
While it is fun, each year the event shrinks. After being held in Anaheim for so long, attendees
were disappointed to find it was moved to the Pomona Fairplex.
The LA Cookie Con website shows that it is a bright and fun place for kids to enjoy, but in
reality, there are only a few booths, only three of which entertain children for the long hours
they’re there. When I first went in 2016, I was mesmerized by the free toys and baking supplies I
was given but children now are seen agitated or sad.
“A couple rows of vendors and some demonstrations and that was it,” Adam Neil Z said in his
Yelp review.
While I enjoyed eating desserts such as meringues–which were sold for $5 each–hand-poured
lollipops, brownies and toffee, it made a dent in my wallet and I didn’t even pay for all of it. While
many vendors are friendly, others give you annoyed looks and get somewhat exasperated when
you ask too many questions.
In the past, there were very few places that tried to get you to buy their products that were
outside the realm of baking. This year, there were people trying to pressure my grandmother
into purchasing a timeshare and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Geico was there trying to get
people to sign up and Napa wineries were trying to raffle off a visit.
Cookie Con was always a–for the most part–calm place where I felt safe walking around by
myself but this feeling was not as strong with adults yelling trying to get sign-ups and vendors
not prioritizing their young customers. While Cookie Con was always a fun place that I looked
forward to each year, I’m not sure if I’ll go again.