House of Whacks

Be it great or small, every single creature roaming God’s green Earth has a natural enemy. For the deadly cobra, it’s the wily mongoose. Mice? Easy prey for felines. As for piñatas, they’re afraid of one thing and one thing only: baseball bats. We’ve lost count of the number of times a crepe-paper effigy of Shrek or Spider-Man has been obliterated by some sugar-craving, blindfolded child doing his or her best impression of Babe Ruth in search of some Baby Ruths.

Thankfully, however, the myriad multicolored piñatas on display at Bragg's Pies Factory won’t be getting the business end of any Louisville Sluggers anytime soon, as the renovated historical building serves as safe haven for the more than 60 papier-mâché creations making up the ongoing Mutant Piñata Show. Kookily crafted by students from Metro Arts High School and Phoenix College, as well as a variety of local artists – including Luster Kaboom, Abbey Messmer, and Jenny Ignaszewski – the piñatas are both pulchritudinous and peculiar. Our favorites are the “croc-to-pus” (made from packing tape and foam peanuts) and the alien-like green creature constructed by Kjel Alkire.