Temporary Life-Size Candy Land Delights Fans At California's Santa Monica Pier

In case you missed it, April 5 was National Caramel Day. To mark the holiday, which honors the soft sugary confection, August Storck KG, manufacturer of the popular caramel-flavored Werther’s Original candy, teamed up with toymaker Hasbro to create a life-size version of Candy Land. Open only for the day, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the massive game board, located on the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California, was completely free for fans of all ages to enjoy.

“The Santa Monica Pier is a 100-year-old landmark that evokes nostalgic feelings for visitors and is a popular family destination,” said Meredith Suffron, Werther’s Original director of marketing. “We saw the opportunity to use this location to bring our products to life in a way that lets people experience the Werther’s Original brand. Our hope is that ‘Candy Land: The Werther’s Caramel Edition Game’ brings back feelings of nostalgia for those who grew up with these classic brands.”

To reach Caramel Castle, visitors had to traverse through mouth-watering Caramel Popcorn Mountains, Werther’s Woods, and a Caramel Creme Lagoon. Though the displays were inedible, there were plenty of free samples of delicious Werther’s Original available to help fulfill any caramel cravings. Those unable to make it to the life-size board game had to settle for a with a digital version created specially for the occasion.

Candy Land was created in 1948 by retired school teacher Eleanor Abbott while she was recovering from polio in a San Diego hospital. After successfully testing it with the kids in the hospital, she submitted it to the Milton Bradley Company. First released in 1949, Candy Land was an instant hit and soon became the company’s best selling game, surpassing its previous top seller, Uncle Wiggly. In 1984, Hasbro acquired Milton Bradley and updated the game with new art, a story line, and interesting characters. While the modern-day Candy Land may look different from Abott’s original creation, it continues to be one of the most popular board games in the world, selling more than one million copies a year!

Resources: losangeles.cbslocal.com,smdp.com,wikipedia.org