Tat’s Bizarre Travels

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Philadelphia, PA - So, the world’s largest piñata isn’t really a travel destination as much as it is/was an event, but it’s still giant so I’m going to write about it.

The plan, concocted by Carnival Cruise Lines, was to built the world’s largest piñata and crack it open so that 8,000 pounds of candy would shower a parking lot of onlookers. It didn’t really happen that way, thus disappointing all that had come to watch… and nearly causing a riot. All in attendance were hugely disappointed, and although I was sad, there were some highlights that made it worth while.

I had been witness to the construction of the thing for about a week or so so I really wanted to get a close look and be overwhelmed by its size. The giant piñata was living in a parking lot on the corner of Broad St. and Washington Ave. (the gateway to South Philly) and surprisingly has survived the Phillies winning the World Series and the parade that followed soon after. Considering people spilled out into the streets after the game and tried to push over buses it’s quite impressive that piñata made it to Sunday. But there it was, some six stories tall and covered in bright blues, pinks, oranges, yellows and purples. As you may know, I love the big things… and I LOVE the piñata, and I wanted so badly to get up close and personal with it. But apparently the line to get up close and personal with the piñata reached well into West Philly and we didn’t want to wait in the line.

Instead of waiting in line we became one of the many that clung to the surrounding fence to get a look at the piñata’s destruction. Well, if you can’t join ‘em, you may as well watch them beat ‘em. Destruction was set for 1:30, I was outside the fence waiting, watching, laughing as the crowed inside the fence infuriated Carrot Top (the wild haired, although blond, director of the commercial Carnival Cruise Lines were getting out of this) as they tried to storm the piñata. I mean really. I get your trying to film a commercial, but if you’re promising destruction and candy you need to deliver in a timely manner ’cause people just aren’t going to wait patiently all day. Especially in Philly. They destroy stuff when they’re celebrating, imagine if you make them mad.

We stood outside the fence until about 2 o’clock when a friend of mine noticed people poking through a hole in the far end of the fence. We ran over and made our way inside, thanks to the piñata rebel who what holding the hole in the fence open and telling people to come inside! It was all very exciting, mostly because Carnival Cruise Lines did such a poor job of organizing and such an awesome job of corralling people in and about of the fence enclosure.

It wasn’t long after we got inside that we found out the piñata would not be destroyed today. It appears technical difficulties made it impossible for them to swing the papier-mâché wrecking ball that they had at the ready and they wanted all of us to go home. I had just gotten in. I was taking pictures of the piñata up close an personal. I also took pictures of the caravan of motorcycle police whose job it was to ensure the safety of the piñata, and the crowds of disgruntled people, and the (almost) riots. Because really, if you have a big ol’ pile of people waiting to see a piñata destroyed, and you don’t destroy it, they’ll offer to destroy it for you. There were several cries to join together and bring down the piñata, but in the end the men with the guns prevailed… and then they even posed for pictures with onlookers in front of the piñata.

In the end it was worth the 3 hours of waiting. But that’s only because we got in to see the riot piñata up close and personal. If we were still behind the fence instead of inside it that would be another story entirely.

As far as I know the piñata is still standing. Part of me wants it to keep standing forever. If I had any sort of front yard I would offer to take it, but I’m guessing giant piñata’s are expensive. Besides he really wasn’t made for survival… although he looks pretty sturdy. It was a great day with the giant piñata, it’s just too bad there wasn’t any candy… or piñata bits to take home.