The 60th Birthday Celebration of the classic childhood board game Candy Land was celebrated in San Francisco last week. A quarter-mile stretch of Lombard Street between Leavenworth and Hyde streets was used as the backdrop for the life sized Candy Land game. The original board game was created by Eleanor Abbott who designed the game while recovering from polio. About 25 children celebrated the 60th Birthday by participating in a larger than life version of the game. Children from UC San Francisco's Children's Hospital and the non-profit Friends of the Children were invited to participate in the game as well as children from the surrounding neighborhood.
Event organizers started decorating the stretch of Lombard Street early Wednesday morning in preparation for the days activities. Large colored blocks were created to represent the path players follow on the board. A large deck of cards was created and used as the children played the game on Wednesday. The organizers also decorated the sidewalks and street with biodegradable balloons and confetti while a large cake shaped like a castle awaited the players at the finish line. Several characters were also present to greet the children and participants of the celebration.
