03 Nov 2008, Written by Janina A. Larenas in life

The World’s Largest Pinata

In Philadelphia this weekend Carnival Cruise Lines broke the Guinness World Record for building the world’s largest piñata: 6 stories tall, filled with 8000 pounds of candy. Using an enormous parking lot in South Philly they invited the city to join in the festivities promising food, games, and participation in a commercial they planned to shoot during the event. Philadelphia recently tasted what it is like to be a part of a citywide celebration. After 28 years of disappointment the Phillies won the World Series, and Philadelphia embraced the event in a way that people call “Philly Style”…

Carnival Cruise Lines simply wasn’t prepared to be embraced. With a wrecking ball in the background, and no food or games in site, 7000 people stood in the lot eating and throwing handfuls of free candy for 3 hours while they waited for the commercial to be shot and the piñata to be smashed. Murmurs of rioting rushed through the crowds as parents started to get nervous for their children, and with only one frustrated and aging man trying to control the crowd; people eventually rushed the piñata for a closer look. Immediately bringing in the police, the event coordinators tried to threaten the crowd saying “there is enough candy for everyone, but if you do not move back there will be no candy for anyone!”

The crowd was already stuffed on the boxes and bins of candy they left out and wanted to be a part of the action. The police (a handful on motorcycles) were only able to control the crowd for about 20 minutes, but as time wasted away they began ignoring the crowd and people’s impatience got the better of them. With no one watching but the same frustrated, shouting, aging man, and no barriers between them and the piñata everyone inched closer and closer, eventually causing them to cancel the event.