A couple of decades ago, a local greenhouse owner approached me. My assignment was to design and build a sign or display that would entice people within a 100-kilometre radius to buy his beautiful flowers. We had created sugar cube castles in our art gallery as Christmas displays in years past, and they were always popular. I reasoned that if I pulled out the stops and built the largest possible castle, it would do the trick. The ceiling of the garden’s interior display space was just over 14 feet tall, which governed the final height. Because it was a public space, I welded up a steel frame, which was hidden inside, then began assembling the sugar cubes, one at a time. I used hot glue to fasten the cubes together. It took four days to complete the task and used more than 14,000 sugar cubes. The castle proved to be very popular and was even featured on national TV. People travelled many miles to get a look, and they did buy some poinsettias!
Corn Party 2026
Yesterday, I made my way down to San Antonio, Texas, for the annual Corn Party, a gathering/convention of pumpkin farms from across North America. It is our third year attending this convention, and we will see many of our existing client friends and hopefully meet a whole bunch of new ones. I spent the morning setting up our booth, testing the slide show and getting ready for the crowd of farm owners soon to arrive. This gathering is small compared to the other shows we attend, but it will be fun and exciting to meet with so many farm owners in one place over the next two days.
Fan EXPO 2026
If you're into comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming, or cosplay, Fan Expo would definitely be your kind of place. The Hazelnut Inn is again showcasing our unique themed lodging at the Expo. Traffic was brisk with throngs stopping at the booth to marvel and inquire about the Inn. Through the day, we met many who have seen it online, passed by as it was being built and those who have had the wonderful experience of staying in one of the finished suites. The EXPO is on at the Canada Place Convention Centre through Monday.
