Sweet-tooths rejoice! Candytopia experience arrives in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO -- Sugar lovers, now is your time to celebrate! Candytopia, the hit immersive experience of all things candy is opening in San Francisco on Thursday. Willy Wonka, eat your heart out.
In the same vein as other "museum" experiences such as the Museum of Ice Cream, Candytopia is the latest selfie and Instagram hotspot to be brought to the Bay Area. Already open in Santa Monica and New York to sold-out crowds, San Francisco ticket availability is quickly becoming scarce.
THIS IS CANDYTOPIA: A sugar-coated dreamscape hidden in San Francisco
Guests can walk through exhibition halls featuring sculptures and artwork made up of thousands of pieces of candy. In the gallery, an ode to the Bay Area with a 14,000 piece Steve Jobs and a replica of the Warriors' Championship trophies made entirely of sour belt candies painted gold.
The creator of this sugar overload is Jackie Sorkin, the official "Candy Queen" and candy artist to stars like Katy Perry and the Kardashians. Her love for sugar started early. "I love Willy Wonka. As a kid candy was taken away. I watched Willy Wonka and became obsessed with the story. I love the color the candy the chocolate as an adult and it was the meaning behind the story: dream big."
All the candy you see is real, touchable, and at times squishy as exhibited by the red gummy bench along one wall. While the dragon statue made from 120.000 pieces of candy is technically edible, it, along with all of the art is shellacked so, sorry. You can't eat it. (Not to worry, there are plenty of edible samples to be had in each room.)
For the Instagrammers, a selfie lover's dream: Displays with cameras built-in. A spinning rainbow on the floor allows users to lay down as a camera from above captures each technicolor spin.
Whether it's a pig with colorful confetti coming from its behind, or a jelly bean image of rapper Nicki Minaj, Sorkin says she hopes the experience serves it's purpose.
"We exist for just fun and to bring joy to people. I think right now the world needs that more than ever."
Candytopia opens September 6 in San Francisco.
Here's where you can get your Golden Ticket.
