Pink alert! See how Union Station has gone all-out Barbie for blockbuster movie opening
Malibu has nothing on Kansas City.
Sure, that coastal California community has Barbie’s Dreamhouse.
Kansas City has a Barbie train station.
Ahead of the much-anticipated Barbie movie opening, Barbie Land is open at Union Station and fans of the iconic dolls are flocking in for Barbie-themed photo opportunities set up there.
Photo ops include a bright pink, life-size Barbie box, and the popular Alpha-lit letters, which spell out, “Let’s Go Barbie.” Another camera-ready Barbie-themed display features a replica of the iconic Union Station timepiece surrounded by cascades of pink and purple balloons.
In the lobby of the Regier Extreme Screen Theatre, displays showcase some historic Barbie artifacts, including 1960s era two-dimensional Barbie costume dolls along with 1980s era Barbie and Ken lounging at Barbie’s dream pool. The movie opens on Friday at the theater inside Union Station.
Union Station officials are expecting large crowds for the movie this weekend. A limited number of tickets are still available for the weekend showings and tickets are selling fast. Fans are expected to show up in Barbie-themed attire for the movie.
“We’re so excited,” said Opal Stephens of Merriam, who brought her daughter, Pearl, 7, to Barbie Land on Thursday for photos. The pair donned Barbie-like dresses for the occasion. There is no charge for visiting the Barbie Land photo stations, which will be on display until Aug. 1.
Many of the shops and restaurants in Union Station are getting in on the fun by offering Barbie-themed food and drink items.
Pierpont’s at Union Station will offer Barbie-themed craft cocktails dubbed Malibu Dream Martini and Beach Barbie Lemonade. Barbie fans can start the day off right with Barbie’s Belgian Waffle, a pink waffle with whipped cream, macerated strawberries and candied lemon at Harvey’s Restaurant, which will also offer Malibu Ken’s grilled chicken sandwich and Skipper’s Sweet Treat.
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory will be selling Pink Sprinkle Apples, a caramel-covered Granny Smith apple dipped in white confection and rolled in hard-to-find pink sprinkles. Owner Matt Geehan said he sold close to 60 of the popular pink caramel apples on Wednesday.
He expects a new shipment of pink sprinkles to arrive Friday and plans to have plenty of the pink treats on hand for Barbie fans. The shop will also have pink-sprinkled marshmallows and dipped Rice Krispie Treats, with, you guessed it, pink sprinkles. Brightly-colored tarts and pink muffins are being sold at Parisi.
For fans of other dolls, the Science City Adventure Store will be selling Mission Commander and Paleontologist dolls. Barbie fan Kenya Shobe of Kansas City posed for a photo with her Mission Commander doll inside the giant Barbie box.
If that isn’t enough pink for you, on Friday night Union Station will feature a Barbie-themed pink and white light show on the building’s front facade.
