Candytopia Brings Childhood Dreams Of Living In A World Built Out Of Candy A Temporary Reality, But A Reality
by Heather Cassell
Just in time for Halloween, Candytopia is joining its cousin the Museum of Ice Cream right around the corner just to give San Franciscans a sugar overload.
The new pop-up exhibit opens tomorrow (September 6) right next to the Four Seasons in San Francisco. It runs through to November.
Tickets went on sale August 1 and just like the Museum of Ice Cream, sold out wicked fast.
Candytopia is the brainchild of Hollywood Candy Girls business owner Jackie “Candy Queen” Sorkin who is candy maker to the stars.
The candy museum first appeared in Santa Monica, California last April and quickly gained a following with her fans like Drew Berrymore and Gwyneth Paltrow, reported Moneyish.
The Candy Queen
The name “Candy Queen” might be familiar to reality TV fans, Jackie, 39, had her own reality TV show of the same name on TLC in 2011. The show followed her adventures as a candy artist running her business and raising her family.
“Candy was always my love. Almost a decade ago I started playing with candy—styling it; making it beautiful; doing events,” said Jackie, recalling her childhood obsession with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, to Moneyish. “We started pursuing candy art, whether it was jewelry or chotskies. I said, ‘I can make art out of this.’”
She was working on expanding and growing her business when she teamed up with business partners John Goodman and Zac Hartog. John headed up big-name retailers such as The Gap, Kmart, and Sears. Zac is a set designer.
Together, they developed the Candytopia concept.
Sugar Rush
Over the summer alone at the Santa Monica Candytopia 150,000 people visited the pop-up exhibit that features iconic artworks by Leonardo Davinci, Van Gough, Andy Warhol, and others all recreated using candy in June. Leonardo’s Mona Lisa is made up of 6,000 jellybeans.
The exhibit brought in an estimated $5 million in ticket sales alone, according to Moneyish.
Tickets range from $26 for kids (4 to 12) to $34 for adults.
Last month the pop-up exhibit opened in New York. Visitors are greeted by a yellow taxi cab made out of giant gummy bananas when they walk into the exhibit that is a life-size CandyLand board game. The exhibit makes another nod to New York with a candy replica of the Statue of Liberty made of green jelly beans. Each room is interactive and once again the pool is oddly familiar. This time it’s a pillow faux-marshmallow pool that everyone can dive into.
San Francisco’s exhibit gives a nod to technology with a portrait of the late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” crooner Tony Bennett. Steve’s portrait is made out of black licorice and coconut jelly bean (14,000 candy pieces, 108 construction hours, and 9,500 grams of sugar). Tony’s portrait is made out of pina colada licorice and assorted flavors of jelly beans (13,000 candy pieces, 107 construction hours, and 10,000 grams of sugar).
Of course, no exhibit devoted to candy could bypass Willy Wonka and Gene Wilder who originally embodied the role in the classic movie. There’s a sugar-filled nod to him at each of the exhibits.
All of it is … well … Instagramable. Big surprise.
The pieces of art aren’t edible, but another familiar feature is that there will be plenty of candy available to sample throughout the exhibit. Your sweet tooth will be satisfied.
Book your urban adventure to San Francisco with Girls That Roam Travel. Contact Heather Cassell at Girls That Roam Travel at 415-517-7239 or at .
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