Pictures of the world’s largest Piñata party in Santa Monica

This past Saturday Microsoft threw a Viva Piñata party at the Santa Monica pier. Before 11AM kids and their parents lined up to watch the ribbon cutting ceremony. Once inside there were craft stations, episodes of Viva Piñata to watch and Xbox 360s running Viva Piñata for kids to play. All of the demo stations begun at the very beginning of Viva Piñata where you’re wading through alert menus and whacking the ground with a shovel. Since it isn’t a game that you can learn in five or ten minutes there were representatives from Rare and Microsoft Game Studios to help explain the game to kids. In the center of the event was a piñata island populated by Hudson Horstachio piñatas. Kids lined up to grab piñatas which had prizes inside. The real highlight of the event was learning the Viva Piñata dance with Mario Lopez. While this probably wouldn’t have been a fun event for the Gears or Halo crowd, the Viva Piñata party was designed for children. Since kids rarely get video game events like this, Microsoft’s party was a special treat for the same audience that watches the show on Saturday mornings.

11 A.M. the crowd lines up for the ribbon cutting ceremony

Hudson Horstachio, Fergy Fudgehog and Paulie Pretzatail came to the party to meet their fans.

Kids raided Piñata Island and grabbed Hudson Horstachio piñatas with prizes inside. A few lucky children got copies of the game.

Fergy Fudgehog was star struck when he saw Mario Lopez.

After being blasted by cameras Mario Lopez sat down to play Viva Piñata and a few children at the party helped him play the game.

You could even get an air brushed tattoo of a fudgehog at the party. Plenty of kids lined up for a tattoo, but I didn’t see Mario Lopez in line for one.