Hello Kitty has been a symbol of childhood and she has taught many about friendship.
Hello Kitty and her friends have taught fans around the world to believe that a gift is more than just a gift which means sharing heartfelt feelings for one another, a token big or small, to celebrate what makes everyone unique and special.
To celebrate Hello Kitty, LBCC’s Pacific Coast Campus hosted a Kitty and Friends Beach Flea Market on Sunday, Apr. 14, 2024.
The first 100 guests that arrived got a free goody bag, which included a Hello Kitty tote bag with stickers, pins, candy and a Hello Kitty cup.
The event was supposed to feature a special guest appearance from Sandy Fox, the voice actress of Hello Kitty and Betty Boop.
Unfortunately due to rainy weather, Sandy Fox had to postpone her appearance. However, the flea market went on as scheduled.
The flea market included a variety of fun things to look at and buy such as vintage clothing, collectibles, furniture and custom-made art.
It also included a live DJ who played Taylor Swift and Harry Styles throughout the flea market which made shopping around more enjoyable and fun for shoppers, some of whom even stopped to sing along.
The event had sparkly colorful Hello Kitty and Friends photo booths around the flea market that many guests took advantage of.
There were food trucks around the market like “Wetzel’s Pretzels,” which serves pretzels and there was also a taco truck that had different types of Mexican food you can choose from like burritos and tamales.
A popular booth at the flea market was hosted by nail artists Christine Phm and Beverly Chiang, the owners of “Kiss My Nails” who specialize in handmade press-on nails.
“We have been hand-making press-on nails for five years and have been traveling to different flea markets and events to promote our nails and have women feel beautiful and unique with their nails,” said Chiang.
LBCC student Ruth Baker attended the flea market with excited energy and enjoyed her experience with hopes that PCC will host more flea markets like this.
“It’s a girly event, but the weather made it into a girl’s lazy day with Hello Kitty,” said Baker.
The whole event was very pink and each booth had a pop of pink to represent Hello Kitty.
The next “Hello Kitty Beach Flea Market and The Collective Market” will be held on Apr. 28 at the PCC campus from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and this time it will be a full-on “Sanrio LA Day,” which will include all Sanrio decked out in sports including Hello Kitty Dodgers merchandise.
Sandy Fox is scheduled to appear again with a meet and greet from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.