‘So many kids were crying': Botched Bluey event leaves parents fuming

“If you’re advertising with Bluey, you gotta go big; otherwise, go home!” 

It was supposed to be an opportunity for kids to meet their favourite Aussie TV icon, but it wound up looking closer to a nightmare. 

A popular chain restaurant in Las Vegas’s highly-anticipated Bluey-themed event was supposed to be an action-packed day for kids.

What they promised packed a punch: face painting, delicious treats, and the chance to meet the one and only Bluey. Wackadoo!

Instead, what kids were met with were heartbreak and disappointment. (Wackadon’t).

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The "face painting" was actually some whiskers and a paw print, and the TVs were playing Bluey on mute. Picture: Facebook

Is this the Wonka Experience 2.0?

Set for Saturday, 11 May, Dirt Dog, a popular chain restaurant in Las Vegas, shared the details for what was supposed to be an action-packed and free Bluey-themed event. 

“Celebrate Bluey with us! Marathon of all the Bluey episodes! Meeting with Bluey & Friends. Face painting. Games and special Bluey treats,” the Facebook event read. 

RELATED: ‘They were going to dub Bluey with American accents to make it more appealing overseas’

The Facebook event absolutely blew up, with more than 3,000 people reportedly showing their interest online. 

That was when the chaos started. 

Disorder erupted on the day of the event, with a wave of eager kids and their parents keen to meet their favourite blue heeler family showing up at the restaurant. 

Evidently, more people showed up than the restaurant planned, with lines of people spilling onto the street, and many parents started worrying about the restaurant’s ability to control the crowds. 

An attendee who was there from the very start of the event described the scenes. “It was already crowded and couldn't get past the ‘hostess’ area,” she recalled. 

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Things only got worse the longer they stayed. 

As the doomed event continued, furious parents started venting their frustrations and warning other parents to avoid the area entirely. 

“You done and p**sed off a bunch of mums,” said an angry woman. “What a terrible event!”

Parents complained about the face painting, with kids only offered two options: “whiskers” or a “paw print.” 

“Don’t go!” one parent warned others on the Facebook event. “[It’s a] waste of time! They put whiskers on your kid’s face … that’s the face painting!” 

“The face painting was completely trash,” said another. “Just a worker painting paw prints or whiskers with those really cheap Halloween face paint crayons.” 

As if that wasn’t disappointing enough, some kids didn’t even get the chance to get their faces painted. 

One parent said they were told to “stand in line” for the service, only to realise the “face painting wasn’t even there anymore!”

And the “treats”? They were cupcakes and had to be purchased separately. 

RELATED: Nutritionist’s warning to parents giving 'Bluey-themed' food to their kids

The kids weren't happy. Picture: Facebook

“You done and p**sed off a bunch of mums!” 

That’s not even the worst part.

In the Facebook event, organisers promised marathon episodes of Bluey on the TVs, which, to their credit, they did end up playing.

On some TVs … with no audio. 

“Half the screens playing Bluey,” one parent recalled. “The other [was] sports.”

“Bluey watch party? On mute?!?” another furious mum wrote.

But the main attraction was when the kids met Bluey and Friends. 

Turns out, there were no “Friends”, it was just Bluey. Well, I think it was supposed to be Bluey. 

Parents and children were horrified when a staff member, who had the starring role of Bluey, stepped out of the kitchen to the event area. 

He wasn’t dressed in an official character costume. He was in a onesie. 

“The man wearing the Bluey suit didn’t even wear his hood, THE WHOLE outfit didn’t fit!” a mum recounted. “He sat there with no emotion!”

RELATED: Mum scores $40 Bluey toy for $8 bucks but is accused of 'stealing'

Expectation vs. reality Picture: Facebook

Restaurant responds to backlash

Speaking to Fox5, one parent recalled the distress the event caused. 

“The kids were distraught. Some kids were crying,” said mum Stephanie. “Some kids were upset, crying on their parents’ shoulders.

“How could you do that to little kids: advertise something so fun and eventful for kids ranging from toddlers to six, seven years old, and not actually follow through with it? 

“It was a very upsetting moment to see so many kids, especially my daughter, just really upset.” 

One parent said it best: “If you’re advertising with Bluey, you gotta go big; otherwise, go home!”

Following the chaotic and disappointing day, the owners of Dirt Dog issued an apology to the children and parents who felt duped by the Bluey-themed event. 

“We are truly sorry this event wasn’t to standard,” the company shared on Instagram. 

“We will work on improving all of events going forward so we can bring you the highest quality as you all deserve. We appreciate everyone taking the time to send us your feedback.” 

In a statement to Fox5, the restaurant’s marketing spokesperson explained how the event quickly got out of hand. 

“We expected like maybe 50 to 60 people - not in the sense of like the whole city coming out,” she said. 

It turns out the restaurant didn’t quite understand the popularity of Bluey. 

“Just now knowing who Bluey is, we would have planned ahead and would have had security,” she said.

Originally published as ‘So many kids were crying': Botched Bluey event leaves parents fuming