(Photo: Geert Teuwan Photography; courtesy of Chocolate Show International)

A trade show is not ordinarily kid territory, no matter how much fun the exhibits are. (Even the annual Toy Show still keeps the underage set out.) But the Chocolate Show, this weekend at the Metropolitan Pavilion, goes out of its way to be child-friendly. Girl Scouts— a group that knows about sweets—will give lessons on making brownie smoothies. Chocolate painting, on candy bars and on faces, and carnival games will be on offer. Some of the adult stuff will be in play for the kids as well: They can savor single-origin samples, sipping water in between and discussing the fine points of, say, how Dominican and Ecuadoran chocolates differ. And, like their parents, the kids will be receiving a de facto lesson in pacing themselves. “This is not a show of moderation,” warns Joan Steuer, a trend-watcher in the business and founding editor of Chocolatier magazine. “There’s a lot of sampling going on, and you can spend the whole time eating.” She gleefully admits to a minimum of 90 pieces over the course of the three-day event and suggests a few lessons in “responsible consumption” before the show. Does she practice what she preaches? “Of course not. I just say this is my job.”

11/10–11/12; Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., nr. Sixth Ave. (866-246-2692 or chocolateshow.com ); $25 for grown-ups and teens, free with two kids 5–12; $8 each additional child, kids 4 and younger are free. Kids classes are $1 to $5.

Related:

• Articles by Susan Avery
• Table of Contents: Nov 13, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!