Taking some time out at the ol' fishing hole
According to my father-in-law, he never had to buy lunch at the Ex because the Food Building used to give out a piece of chicken at one stall and fries at another. My mom claims she would regularly come home with two shopping bags full of free stuff.
Even though I am obviously younger, I remember going inside the Food Building for popsicles, potato chips and ice cream bars. By that time full-sized sampling had shrunk to a single stall but it still was something my mom appreciated, as my family didn’t have much money back then.
The free product experience still happens today, provided you come at the right times (such as heading straight to the Food Building line when the Ex opens on Food Products Day), visit the right shows (the cooking show, beside the Farm, gives out prizes, four times a day, every day of the Ex) or walk by the right places (try near the gates or Princess Margaret Fountain, or just outside of the Food Building or Direct Energy Centre).
Not to minimize the work that other companies put into creating their displays, two companies went above and beyond to bring free products to their potential consumers at this year’s CNE.
The Garnier inflatable dome tent blocks off much of its display, so it’s easy to miss. But a lady with a megaphone, surrounded by other chanting employees, makes me curious enough to go inside. Within the tent, there are multiple stations, each offering the fairgoer the chance to experience a free mini-makeover. While I don’t get my hair restyled, have makeup applied or try out wigs, I still sit through a skincare seminar to get a free bottle of shampoo.
At the other end of the park, near the fountain, the mood is more somber. A child concentrates intently on casting her line towards a pool of fish. Subway has brought the fishing experience to city dwellers, complete with wooden dock-style platforms, floating weeds, and a real fishing pole. Suddenly the crowd cheers, as her magnetic hook grabs a yellow metal fish. She gets a ten dollar Subway gift card and the crowd’s respect. My turn. I cast out my line and my magnet lands on the dock across from me. The employee picks it up and drops it, causing it to land near a school of green fish. Oh well, five dollars for catching a green fish is still a good prize.
If you’re one of the lucky ones, you can leave the Ex with a ten dollar gift card in one hand and a shampoo in the other. That means you have gained back your admission fee. Add the other experiences that can be found at the Ex, and nowhere else, and you have a deal that even your thrifty – yet overly nostalgic – Aunt Edna can appreciate.
Lucky Travels,
Aaron
aka The Ex Hound