Roaming the floors of Hallmarks first-ever ChristmasCon.
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A sip per shirt would have made for a good drinking game for somebody with a death wish.
The three-day event promises all things merry and bright.
At the center of the convention is a small, branded-Christmas wonderland.
In lieu of an angel, its topped with a golden crown, Hallmarks logo.
All around, volunteers in Santas Helper shirts grab iPhones from attendees and snap their pictures.
Some took the gig just to get into the event.
A single-day, general admission ticket for Saturday cost about $50.
Her husband bought her two tickets for $500 on eBay as a combination Christmas-birthday gift.
(VIP ticket-holders got to cut the line for better seats.)
Wandering around, I see a dozen or so vendors.
A face-painting booth next to one for Fios.
I meet a woman who is hoping to win the days ugly sweater competition.
Shes dressed as a human Christmas tree, covered in translucent ornaments stuffed with pictures of Hallmark actors.
This is not included in the entry fee.
Prices vary by actor, but a selfie and an autograph will set you back around $60.
If you want a professional photo, thatll be another $50.
An additional $10 if you want a digital copy.
Sales at the event are cash only.
I find myself repeatedly thinking about the first syllable in the word convention.
A coffee cart offers hot cocoa and $6 lattes, but no drip.
A woman walks by clutching a silver stein full of craft soda, $17 with all-day free refills.
Screens in the venue display Instagram posts using the events hashtag, #ChristmasCon2019, in real-time.
What a horrible experience.
No organization, waiting in one line after another, a total mess.
Shame onhttps://t.co/rLRQufl39zand hallmark.
Not everyone is unhappy, though.
Chad Michael Murray explains hes very traditional, an adjective he uses repeatedly while providing minimal concrete examples.
The crowd is predominantly women, who are predominantly white.
There is no line for the mens room.
He turns around to verify I see the back, #HappyWifeHappyLife.
They love the countdown to Christmas that starts in November.
They love Christmas in July, when Hallmark screens movies during the summer.
Over and over, people tell me Christmas movies are their preferred form of escapism in a fraught world.
One woman tells me she considers them happy white noise.
Cheer at ChristmasCon is brand agnostic, at least as far as apparel is concerned.
Its a Hallmark-centric event but many are also here for the general merriment.
Straight Outta Compton becomes Straight Outta North Pole.
TheFriendsholiday armadillo makes an appearance.
Reindeer and candy canes and magic and wine and seasonal affective disorder.
This girl loves Hallmark Christmas movies and lockets.
(I only made up one of those.)
Theres one Hallmark anchor who is noticeably absent.
(The couple pleaded not guilty.)
I dont look at it as a post-Lori economy.
Its not an economy, and its not post-Lori.
Whatever she needs all of us are here for her.
Jonathan Bennett, a Hallmark regular you probably know as Aaron Samuels fromMean Girls, echoes Greene.
Hes known Loughlin for decades.
Its a hard thing for everyone involved, including everyone at Hallmark, Bennett says.
There are no winners in this situation.
On the convention floor, feelings are mixed, but mostly sympathetic.
Even Hallmarks fans are true to its all-positive brand voice.
Poor Lori, oneWhen Calls the Heartfan tells me.
She thinks Hallmark was right to cut ties but is hopeful for a Loughlin comeback.
But honestly, I used to work on Wall Street.
Ho Ho Ho, a mystery voice booms over the speakers toward the end of the hour.
Its Daniel Franzese, the actor who played Damian inMean Girls, making a surprise appearance.
Hes handing out candy cane grams and, naturally, there are none for Gretchen Wieners.
Franzese talks about what it meant to play an openly queer character in 2004.
Well …Love, Actually, she said tentatively.
(All the plotlines in the 16-year-old movie are about straight couples.)
At the end of the panel, Bennett urges everyone to take out their cell phones.
Jingle Bell Rock starts playing, and he performs the risque talent-show version a la Lindsay Lohan.
On my way out, I spot a kid in a Grinch tee.
How thegriftstole Christmas is more like it, I think to myself.
