Reposted from an article written by Ed Sum for TwoHungryBlokes.com. To see the full photoset, please visit the original article.
Cherry Bomb Toys in Victoria, BC is expanding. Not only do they have the National Toy Museum of Canada, on the second floor, which showcases approximately 80 years of love for childhood knickknacks, but soon, they will be opening their basement for people to use on a by appointment basis. The official opening is tentatively set for the end of March.
This area will not be limited to families wishing to celebrate their child’s birthdays (or an adult’s) in a venue that does not have to be their home. B Woodword, manager of the store, explained that not everyone has the space, especially if they live downtown, and cleanup for a whole home can be a chore. This operation’s idea is to offer a safe space so people can have fun in. There’s an arcade area filled with classic gaming consoles (Nintendo and SEGA were spotted) and four separate television screens so anyone can game with. People can bring their own next-gen consoles, but the purpose of this space is to stay retro. A dining room type area (with a few basic kitchen essentials) exists so people can mingle in. Of course, washroom facilities is down the hall.
Included in the rental party package ($200 for 2 hours) includes LEGO product promotions. Anyone celebrating a birthday here gets a build-a-fig product to take home. The honoree gets a $20 gift certificate and lots of bricks to play with while here.
This space is available to anyone for use, and the hallway is a space for local artistic talent to showcase their work. Woodward has been slowly working on getting the area fixed up for public use, and the tour I received highlights the possibilities of what can be done. Not only can the entirety of the space can be used for art shows but also be a place with potential theme night shenanigans come Halloween. Well, that’s my hope, as I fondly recalled my days of my old elementary school that night. The hallway was eerily decorated up. Walking through the classrooms meant navigating through parts of a haunted house. Some doors are locked off, perhaps hiding this building’s curious past. Perhaps some of it will get revealed.
“We’re working on projects to launch sometime around Spring Break. If you want to display your works as an artist here, then we can book you a time frame to cycle the works on display. The first one will be called Up Close & Personal in the Narrow Row,” revealed Woodward.
More details will be announced as more decor is added and other licenses are secured. Even the big boys should be excited. Woodward said that they are in the process of acquiring a liquor license, so adults can rent the space too along with having properly catered exhibitions.
For booking inquiries, please contact the store at (250) 385-8697.
