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 Wertherâs 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.
âThe Santa Monica Pier is a 100-year-old landmark that evokes nostalgic feelings for visitors and is a popular family destination,â said Meredith Suffron, Wertherâs Original director of marketing. âWe saw the opportunity to use this location to bring our products to life in a way that lets people experience the Wertherâs Original brand. Our hope is that âCandy Land: The Wertherâs Caramel Edition Gameâ brings back feelings of nostalgia for those who grew up with these classic brands.â
To reach Caramel Castle, visitors had to traverse through mouth-watering Caramel Popcorn Mountains, Wertherâs Woods, and a Caramel Creme Lagoon. Though the displays were inedible, there were plenty of free samples of delicious Wertherâs 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 companyâs 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 Abottâs 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