Event: Sanrio’s 50th Anniversary Continues With Small Gift Los Angeles

We are thrilled to be included in the celebration of Sanrio’s 50^th anniversary at the Small Gift Los Angeles event. Starting this Friday, November 12 the 10-day carnival-style event is open to the public at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica. Make sure to come visit www.Sanrio.com to check out the LA schedule for dates and times.

The event wraps up on Sunday November 21, 2010 and will resume in Miami the first week of December! Unfortunately we can’t continue on to Small Gift Miami but the Los Angeles event sounds amazing!

Also, we’ll be attending the kick off event so stay tuned for our post-show coverage!

Until then, read on to find out more about what to expect from the Sanrio’s 50^th anniversary celebration at Small Gift Los Angeles:

Inspired by the brand’s “small gift, big smile” philosophy, Small Gift Los Angeles will have a nostalgic fair/midway theme and offer fans of all ages a chance to immerse themselves in the whimsical world of Sanrio.  Interactive games and rides, art exhibit and installations, product retrospective, pop-up shop, food trucks, dress-up photo booths, character appearances, workshops and special theme days combine to make this event a one-of-a kind experience.  Entry to the venue is free of charge and tickets for games and activities will be available for purchase.

Small Gift Los Angeles will include:

* Midway Carnival — a game booth area featuring classic characters will include Hello Kitty’s Spilled Milk Bottle Toss, Little Twin Stars Shooting Stars, Tuxedosam Bowtie Bounce, Chocopanda Dough Toss, Hangyodon Ring Fling, Landry Lucky Duckies, and Sanrio Friends Spin ‘n’ Win Wheel, a Japanese activity corner, a retro videogame arcade, photo booths and a ferris wheel with multiple characters represented on the cars.  Two 9-hole miniature golf courses celebrating Sanrio’s legacy of characters will round out the midway fun!

* Art Exhibition — curated by Jamie Rivadeneira, owner of JapanLA, Small Gift Los Angeles will showcase artist works as well as eleven unique installation rooms that transform favorite Sanrio characters into original works.  Fifty top artists will participate including Buff Monster, Gary Baseman, Paul Frank, Crowded Teeth, Natalia Fabia, Simone Legno, and many others.  Artwork will be for sale; with a portion of the proceeds going to Los Angeles based L.A. Works.  L.A. Works is a non-profit, volunteer action center that creates and implements hands-on community service projects throughout the greater Los Angeles area.  Contact us for a more detailed listing of artists on display, works and artist bios.

* Food Extravaganza — the “mobile food court” of food trucks will be a centerpiece of Small Gift Los Angeles, with many different trucks visiting over the 10 days, including The Grilled Cheese Truck.  In addition, cream puff gurus Beard Papa’s will have a booth for the duration of Small Gift Los Angeles and have developed a special Hello Kitty flavor – a yummy strawberry flavored cream puff with sprinkles.  Also on sale, an eco-friendly, co-branded Beard Papa’s/Hello Kitty tote created by Beard Papa’s to commemorate the event.  Yogurtland will also staff a booth throughout Small Gift Los Angeles, offering a variety of special yogurt flavors and toppings tied back to Hello Kitty®, My Melody®, Keroppi®, and Chococat®.

* Pop Up Shop — in addition to playing, participating and previewing, guests of Sanrio will also have the opportunity to purchase specially created and selected commemorative product in the Small Gift Los Angeles pop-up shop.  Sanrio’s 50th Anniversary marks the first time that so many of the characters have appeared together and there are a variety of must-have, collectible pieces including iPhone cases and laptop cases, t-shirts, tin lunch boxes, tote bags, bobbleheads, plush, a commemorative 50th Anniversary book and much, much more.

* Events Within the Main Event — special parties and events will abound over the 10 days of Small Gift Los Angeles.  The themed “I Heart Nerds” party hosted by Sanrio and Loungefly and “Kitty in Pink – Retro 80s Prom Party” offer fans a chance to dress up, have fun and compete for ‘best-dressed’ prizes.  Workshops will include Sushi Bento Box making, Sunae (Japanese sand art), cupcake decorating, jewelry and craft making with participating artists, and an intro to Hello Kitty Beauty by Sephora. Tickets will be available for purchase prior to events and workshops on brownpapertickets.com.  Sanrio will also host groups of children with L.A. Works throughout Small Gift Los Angeles.

* Special Partnerships — many special partners will be on hand throughout Small Gift Los Angeles to participate in this massive celebration.  Various models of the newly launched Hello Kitty Smart Cars will be on display, inviting fans to hop inside, explore, and snap pictures. New partner Sephora will give fans a sneak peek of their soon-to-launch “Hello Kitty Beauty” collection featuring a luxurious line of cosmetics and collectible accessories.

* We did not receive any form of compensation for this post. Portions of this information was from the press release for the event.