A bright inflatable rainbow archway adorned with the Sanrio trademark phrase, “Small Gift,” adds color to the otherwise dull, gray entrance of the Barker Hangar. An occasional draft from planes landing and taking-off on an adjacent runway causes the rainbow to sway a bit, but it doesn’t seem to keep adults and children of all ages from entering. As they pass through the rainbow, they step into a miniature Sanrio world, encapsulated neatly in a 50-foot airplane Hangar.
Small Gift Los Angeles is part of a nationwide tour that was created to celebrate 50 years of Sanrio. In addition to a special Sanrio pop-up shop, the Small Gift events feature workshops, exclusive parties and art showings. Though stationary Small Gift events will only take place in Los Angeles and Miami, a pop-up tour is currently underway, which features a Sanrio-decorated tour bus driving across the country filled with 50th anniversary goods available for purchase.
As people entered the Hangar, they were greeted with the faint scent of kettle corn and hot dogs. What used to house airplanes, now housed an indoor carnival, complete with a miniature golf course and Ferris wheel. Every aspect of the interior design included the iconic Sanrio characters, Hello Kitty, Pochacco, Keroppi and many more, so much so that large inflatable character heads were even hung high above the crowd.
“It’s good that they did (Small Gift) in an airplane Hangar,” said John Draisey, an attendee from Los Angeles. “They could have easily hosted the event outside, but the atmosphere in here is a whole lot better. The character balloons are huge.”
One of the main attractions of the event was the Small Gift Pop-Up Shop. The line to get into the shop, which could only accommodate 30 people at a time, spanned halfway around the Hangar. Included on the “menu” of items for sale was the 50th Anniversary Collector’s Book, Special 50th GIRL Skateboard Deck, Multi-Character Vinyl Figure Set, 50th Anniversary Tote Bags and Wallets, 90-Piece Multi-Character Mini Figure Set, Multi-Character Bobble-heads and much, much more. Fans were eager to get their hands on these products, which featured new patterns that included Sanrio characters from both past and present. Not only are these items limited edition, they will become rarities soon after the 50th anniversary celebration is over.
“The 50th Anniversary items are so classic, they remind me of my childhood,” said Nguyen Tran, an attendee from Los Angeles. “It was worth it to wait in line. The atmosphere is so nice in here, I love all things Sanrio.”
Situated next to the Pop-Up shop was the Sanrio-themed art gallery sponsored by JapanLa, a Sanrio retailer located on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. The brightly-lit space was divided into three aisles, and featured purchasable art placed in creative installations. Hello Kitty was the subject of choice for most artists, as she uniquely appeared in most works in the form of oil on canvas, mixed media, sculpture and stuffed animal form.
“I really loved the art portion of this event, there were a lot of big names,” said Shiho Nakaza, a graphic artist and illustrator based in Santa Monica.
In addition to buying rare goods, attendees also had the chance to participate in carnival activities. The games required one to three tickets and were character-themed, with clever names like “Landry Lucky Duckies” and “Little Twin Stars Shooting Stars.” Most popular among the games was “Tuxedo Sam Bowtie Bounce,” because first prize winners received a limited edition Small Gift tote bag. For those who spent all their cash on games and items, there were also classic arcade games, like Pac Man and Tron, that were free to play.
The event is free and open to the public and runs until Nov. 21. Attendees who want to be a part of special workshops and exclusive events can purchase tickets on Sanrio.com.
Originally published in the Daily Titan on November 15, 2010.
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