Kids Rule. So, we threw an event just for them.
But this wasn’t like anything we’d done before, and we wanted to do it right. So, we consulted our resident big guy (Sonny) because we knew that if there was one person who knows how to put together the perfect out-of-the-box, art-minded experience for kids, by kids, it’d be him. And after some long discussions together, we cooked up Sonny’s Daydream: a space full of creativity, music, and out-of-this-world fun.
Imagine one part lineup of other-worldly art installations, another part music festival, and one more part the greatest summer camp experience you’ve ever had. Then roll all that into a free-to-attend affair filled with a skate track, all-time high levels of energy, and so much more good stuff. And now you know why we're pretty sure it was the best thing ever.
But before we dive into all the great times that unfolded, we’ll provide a bit of context. Not too long ago, we held our first-ever Kids Rule Art Contest. We asked kids from around the country to draw us what their ultimate adventure day with our own Sonny would look like. Did it involve going to the beach, or dishing out chocolate-covered frozen bananas, or even doing anti-gravity windmill dunks on the moon? Well, there are no limits on imagination, so it was all of that and everything else in between.
After judging hundreds of killer entries, we landed on five winners. But we didn’t want things to just end there. So, we flew each winner out to our setup in Encinitas. We then surprised them with larger-than-life, three-dimensional recreations of each of their out-of-this-world pieces on arrival. And a whole festival centered around showcasing them too.
First, you had Connor’s Space Jam’ed out Space Dunk piece equipped with a trampoline, a hoop, and martian moon rock fixings. Following that was Gaby’s fully-equipped tiered candy shop. Henry’s colorful Sonny surf scene then rested just an oversized lollipop's reach away from there.
A quick 180 turn from Henry’s brilliant lineup was Mai Lan’s oceanic ice cream stand, equipped with a dazzling seashell backdrop and, of course, very-delicious chocolate-covered bananas for everyone to enjoy. And last, but certainly not least, was Norah’s rainbow ball pit, which was probably the coolest, most vibrant play structure ever made. Each piece was fitted with a glass case displaying the original artwork and headphones playing recordings of each artist’s voice retelling their inspirations behind the art.
The entrance to it all involved a trip down the yellow carpet through a shiny and banana-filled tunnel loaded with scents of banana, coconut, and just a hint of sea breeze. But this wasn't all for us, it was for the kids. And we couldn't have been more stoked to see their smiles when they first came out of the tunnel to see the world in front of them.
Smiles that only got bigger when all the winners were called up on stage and presented with $1000 checks to celebrate all their incredible work. If it wasn’t already obvious at that point, we were fully beaming by then too.
The entire weekend was set to live tunes courtesy of a proper festival lineup's worth of talent. Bands like Chulita Vinyl Club, Healing Potpourri, Only On Fridays, the San Diego Freak Out DJs, Pearl & The Oysters, Viki Farewell, Juvenile Seagulls, and Ray Barbee Meets Mattson 2 all hopped on stage to jam out. There were also free shirt and tote presses, press on tattoos, local food and bevvies, and pump track for the pro skaters of tomorrow.
Overall, it was a killer event and we are so psyched we got to share Sonny’s Daydream with everyone. It was a great way to spend a couple of days celebrating creativity and reminding everyone that kids rule. And now that it’s all wrapped up, we just have one question on our minds: Can we do that all again?
