Clearwater piñata store fulfills birthday wishes, even odd ones
By Eileen Schulte, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Saturday, September 26, 2009
Diana Herrera, 25, of Largo organizes pi?tas with daughter Mirabel Herrera, 3, at her shop, Pi?tas Arcoiris, 1440 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., Suite B, Clearwater.
A woman who recently opened a piñata store on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard has had some very interesting, very adult, requests. One man bought a beer-shaped piñata and put sex toys, condoms and cigarettes inside. Another person ordered one in the shape of a man wearing only underwear for a woman's 50th birthday party. Another asked for something much more tame: the shape of a saxophone.
Diana Herrera, 25, who opened Piñatas Arcoiris — or "rainbow" in Spanish — last month along with her husband, Vicente, laughs when she talks about the unusual orders.
Usually she's making piñatas in the shape of Dumbo, SpongeBob, Spider-Man, Batman, dinosaurs, watermelons and, in keeping with her heritage, traditional star shapes, a top seller.
Some are small; others are about 4 feet.
"I sell the sticks, too,'' Herrera said. "Some people try to use a plastic bat and it doesn't work. It doesn't kill the piñata.''
Herrera immigrated from Zacatecas, Mexico, in 2000, got married and had two children, Alberto, now 6, and Mirabel, now 3.
When Alberto was born, she wanted a piñata for his birthday but couldn't find one she liked.
That led her to found Piñatas Arcoiris, a little store in a tiny strip mall.
"They're just so cute,'' said Maria Annexy-Fajardo, a customer from Tarpon Springs who bought piñatas for her grandchildren.
She said that "people go to Miami for piñatas'' but if they knew they were for sale in Clearwater, they would skip the long trip.
Herrera's mother taught her to make the decorated vessels out of newspapers, poster board, brightly colored tissue paper and a glue containing a special ingredient shipped from Mexico.
Typically they are filled with candy and toys and smashed to bits by blindfolded party guests.
"When you break a piñata, you free a lot of stress,'' Herrera said.
The piñatas are priced at $16 and up. Business owners get a special rate. Herrera also sells candy to stuff inside.
"It's fun, especially for kids,'' she said.
Eileen Schulte can be reached at schulte@sptimes.com or (727) 445-4153.
Fast facts
If you go
Piñatas Arcoiris is at 1440 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., Suite B, Clearwater. For information, call (727) 502-7655.
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