Hopefully your plans for a fun and safe Cinco de Mayo are right on track. If you find yourself romping around New York’s Lower East Side tomorrow evening, why not pop by art-gallery-slash-coffee-shop Lost Weekend for a piñata party?
I’m banking on piñatas becoming the next big paper-based trend. Who doesn’t love spinning around blindfolded and then whacking a paper donkey with a harmless aluminum bat, inducing a cascade of fun, yummy treats? It’s been at least a decade since I’ve engaged in this type of raucous behavior, so I’m certainly overdue.
Piñata artisan Sara Ewalt, owner of Pinyadayada, noticed a huge gap in the market for handmade piñatas last year. The only logical choice for the former display coordinator for Anthroplogie was starting her own piñata company. Piñatas add spice to any gathering, including but not limited to weddings, bachelorette parties, dinner parties and birthday parties. You name the party, and adding a piñata will make it even better.
“Piñatas are all about joy. There’s nothing sad about them really,” Sara says about the appeal of these fun, papier-mâché creations, and I couldn’t agree more.
As cute as the more traditional donkey and even mini-donkey piñatas can be, they are not the only three-dimensional designs on the go. Sara has all shapes and sizes up her sleeve. Sara creates everything from skulls and hearts to sweet baby chicks. One new mother found the chick pinata for her baby shower so cute, she chose to hang it as décor in the nursery rather than smashing it to smithereens. Popular designs include the classic heart shape, numbers, disco balls and – as Sara has a soft spot for them – monsters! This Seattle-based installation designer even whipped up a Mt.Rainier piñata for an climber friend’s birthday complete with tiny mountain climbers.
Check out Pinyadayada’s pop-up store all Saturday and Sunday at Lost Weekend if you’re in New York. Sara ships nationally, so get in touch with her at Pinyadayada’s website, Facebook page or on Etsy if you’re interested in taking your next shindig to dizzy new heights.
Pinyadayada and Lost Weekend are hosting a Cinco de Mayo event May 5 from 7-9pm – there will be piñatas, party and plenty of cerveza!
