field trip friday

PEZ…an iconic candy from my childhood, I haven’t thought about it in years.  I don’t really notice it in stores anymore…maybe that’s just because I’m not looking for it.  The PEZ factory has been located in Connecticut since the 1970’s, but only recently has it been open to the public.  I had to check it out.  PEZ  was a staple in my candy repertoire back in the day… right up there with turkish taffy, button candy, and the huge round individually wrapped sweet tart.  PEZ was always more about the dispenser than the actual candy…for me, anyway.  I checked out the website recently to look up the visitor center hours and discovered that the dispensers are listed by the year introduced…so, if you remember your favorite, you can look up the year it was introduced …great way to feel your age!

The visitors center houses more PEZ dispensers than you can possibly imagine.  Yes, they still produce PEZ and in many more flavors than years ago.  The visitors’ center is not very big, but worth the trip down memory lane.  I was happy to find out that the tour included a PEZ tasting, but somehow the candy just didn’t taste the way I remembered it.

I was very disappointed that I was not able to see the PEZ themed chopper built by Orange County  Choppers on my visit.  The chopper is a regular exhibit at the center, but it was on loan to a candy convention the day I was visiting.  It was built in 2006 when PEZ introduced the first living people on a PEZ dispenser – the Teutel Family…Paul Sr., Paul Jr. & Mikey!

I guess another generation of PEZ lovers is being created, but their first dispenser will most likely be one of the super heroes from The Avengers, and not Popeye or Tweety Bird.

“If I could only have one food for the rest of my life?  That’s easy-Pez.  Cherry-flavored Pez.  No question about it.”

-Vern in the movie Stand by Me.  Dir. Rob Reiner.  Columbia Pictures, 1986.

To find PEZ dispensers listed by year released:  go to www.pez.com   Click on ‘collector’s corner’, then ‘dispenser archive by year.’   P.S.  Happy Nurses Week