Mix the Richmond Night Market, its Lucky Ducks carnival games and stalls selling cheap ankle socks with the PNE Marketplace, its shoppers snoozing in massage chairs and guys in aprons pushing kitchen knives that make chopping vegetables look like fun until you get home, and the result is the 麻豆传媒映画Winter Wonderland.
There are Christmas embellishments of course: carols piped through loudspeakers, the hum of generators that keep a giant bear and candy cane slide in perky spirits, a pool filled with inflatable human hamster balls and lineups of mothers keeping their children close by clutching their jacket hoods with one hand and cellphones set to record with the other.
A stage off to the side of the PNE Forum is for magic shows, various choirs and the intriguing-sounding Prancing with the Stars, which run throughout the day and into the evening. Wun2Free Entertainment, the company behind the first-ever 麻豆传媒映画Winter Wonderland, arranged rows of giant beanbag chairs for audience comfort. A bit of 麻豆传媒映画nostalgia is added to the arena鈥檚 decorations with the addition of the towering marching band bear that once belonged to the long-defunct downtown Woodward鈥檚 department store.
The website for the 10-day long event boasts that all Christmas shopping needs will be met, which is true if Tupperware, collagen injections, enchanted stones, tank tops from Thailand and a Ferrari are on Santa鈥檚 list.
Some of the vendors themselves were a mix. Raymond Greenwood gently hawked his wares, which consisted of things that light up, including but not limited to gloves, boas, glasses and scepters. Greenwood, who was wearing all of the aforementioned items, introduced himself as the King of Bling even though everybody knows his real name on the street is Mr. Fireworks. He did, after all, help bring the hugely popular Symphony of Fire summer fireworks show, now called the Celebration of Light, to 麻豆传媒映画25 years ago.
鈥淲hy am I here? I鈥檓 here to sell my flashy light products and to give people joy,鈥� said Greenwood while wagging his flashing gloved fingers at a family walking by. 鈥淪ome love it, some think it鈥檚 crazy.鈥�
Also for sale was a Space Warriors-brand sabre, which, despite its resemblance to the more coveted Star Wars light sabre, is a cheaper version at 15 bucks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not official, nothing here is official. Look over there,鈥� Greenwood pointed to a stall across from him selling purses and accessories. 鈥淟ook at that Burberry print on that scarf. That鈥檚 not official, otherwise you鈥檇 need 600 dollars for a scarf!鈥�
Saturday marked only the second day of 麻豆传媒映画Winter Wonderland and Greenwood said he would likely be back if the show returned next year. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great mix of people here and the young men involved have done an incredible job,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aven鈥檛 been outside but I know it鈥檚 pouring rain so to see all these people here is a compliment to them.鈥�
One of those men is David Wang, who is the operations manager for the Richmond-based Wun2Free. His were humble beginnings, working the Ring Toss carnival game while he was a university student five years ago. Wun2Free owner Wilson Lee, who runs all the carnival games at the Richmond Night Market, brought him on to his team for his growing company. Wang said Wun2Free is pleased with the way the 麻豆传媒映画Winter Wonderland has been received, and is doing his best to make visitors happy. Namely, some complained about having to pay an extra five dollars for photos with Santa and photos in the giant bear-shaped snowglobe after paying the five dollar admission.
So, after a 3 a.m. meeting on opening day, Wun2Free decided to nix the additional fees and make the features by-donation with money raised still going to the Variety Club. (On the improvement note, Wun2Free might also want to consider not allowing pets to be sold at the 麻豆传媒映画Winter Wonderland; one visit to the Pocket Pet stall with the trembling sugar gliders amid screaming demands of children was enough to put a damper on the whole experience for this writer.)
For Wang, the opportunity to be involved in something to mark the time of year means a lot.
鈥淚 moved here when I was very young from Taiwan. It was a huge struggle for my family to move over here so once we settled down, my family really, really uses Christmas and the holidays to appreciate everything that we鈥檝e been given,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really big deal for them.
That鈥檚 what it means for me, personally. And I know Wilson, he鈥檚 very passionate about creating happiness.鈥�
@rebeccablissett
