‘Silent Disco’ Party This Saturday; Sugary Exhibit Closing at End of September
by Dorothy Puch Lillig
All summer, children and adults alike could be heard squealing with joy and oohing and aahing at land and sea animals sculpted using thousands of jelly beans, reproductions of famous artwork made entirely of sugar and trees flaunting 98,000 pieces of gummy bears, sour poppers, licorice, gumballs and other confections instead of bark and leaves. At Candytopia, a summer attraction at the Marq*E Entertainment Center in the Spring Branch District, the greeting message at the entrance asked you not to “lick, eat or bite any of the displays.”
If you walk into Candytopia this Saturday and see a large group of people dancing around the sugary rooms (and not licking anything, of course) in silence, don’t be concerned.
This Saturday Aug. 31, Houston’s Candytopia, in partnership with Quiet Events, will be hosting a “silent party.”
Who knew the final sweet sounds of summer could be a silent disco party? Well, it is the dream of every mom everywhere but that’s beside the point.
The good tunes and good vibes are open to all with a same-day ticket purchase to Candytopia Houston (available at Candytopia.com) this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Each participant will receive a pair of Quiet Events headphones and admission to Candytopia, located at 7620 Katy Freeway, Suite 360, Houston.
While Saturday is a special silent event, the temporary Candytopia Houston experience will soon go quiet for real when it closes on Sept. 29. It’s been a good run. At the end of July, Candytopia celebrated its 1 millionth customer. The lucky family with the golden number happened to be at the Spring Branch location.
Candytopia Houston officially opened its doors in Spring Branch in early June, featuring more than a dozen rooms and unique environments. The company has or had summer locations in Atlanta, Dallas and Houston. Just a few highlights of the Spring Branch Candytopia experience include a swimming pool full of more than half a million foam marshmallows, an underwater-themed wonderland filled with fantastical candy-covered sea creatures and a rainbow-filled room with flying unicorn pigs and confetti explosions. Not to be missed are the Houston-specific pieces made just for the Spring Branch location, including a giant Houston Astros hat, Apollo 11 astronauts (in celebration of the 50th anniversary), a Beyonce mural and more.
Visiting Candytopia is a curated, tour-like experience, with only a certain number of guests allowed in each time frame to ensure everyone flows through without too many traffic jams. Most rooms feature a treasure chest or other vessel holding free (well, free with admission) candy available for sampling along the way, which is a good thing because your sweet tooth is sure to go into high gear as you walk through the candy paradise.
Candytopia opened the doors of their first marshmallowy mini-theme park in 2018. Their first location was Santa Monica, followed by locations in San Francisco, New York in Midtown Manhattan and Minneapolis at Mall of America. Next up is Philadelphia opening Sept. 20.
Candytopia is a peek inside the sweet and twisted world of famed global candy artist, Jackie Sorkin, and it was created in partnership with her co-founders, events and production design expert Zac Hartog, CEO of ZH Productions, and retail veteran John Goodman.
Guests can view all remaining dates and times in Houston at https://www.candytopia.com. Candytopia, like all the businesses at the Marq*E, is a great place to beat the Houston heat.
Before or after your visit to Candytopia, be sure to visit to stop by for a bite to eat or a drink or continue your fun at one of the many other Marq*E Entertainment Center businesses. Plan your outing here and, just like at Candytopia, remember not to lick or bite anything.
Candytopia Houston
Marq*E Entertainment Center
**Closing Sept. 29,**
7620 Katy Fwy Suite 360, Houston, TX 77024
https://www.candytopia.com
