Parents were left seething after a promised event featuring characters from the popular children's TV show "Bluey" turned into a disaster that left kids "distraught" and "crying".
The Dirt Dog restaurant in Las Vegas had promoted the event on Facebook, promising appearances from Bluey characters, free face paintings and desserts. The post attracted around 3,000 responses from people planning to attend.
However, attendees complained that the event was overcrowded and the costumes worn by restaurant staff were subpar. Queues formed outside the restaurant.
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"We could see his beard," little Sophia, one of the children at the event, told Fox 5. Disgruntled parents took to Facebook to express their disappointment. "Thanks for ruining my three-year-old's day," one irate person posted.
"We left quickly, didn't bother with the face painting or line for food," another attendee wrote. Another disgruntled parent said: "This was horrible and a waste of time. You p--- off a community of parents. I'll never be back to your establishment. My daughter was super disappointed."
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"The kids were distraught. Some kids were crying. Some kids were upset, crying in their parents' shoulders," mum Stephanie Hernandez said. "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."
Owing to the event's mishap, the restaurant proffered their apologies, they had anticipated only about 50 to 60 patrons. The restaurant, Dirt Dog issued a statement on Instagram saying: "We are truly sorry this event wasn't to standard. 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.
"Just now knowing who Bluey is, we would have planned ahead and would have had security," spokesperson Taj Wilder shared, admitting their lack of preparation. Wilder also noted that although their Facebook post pulled in over 3,000 responses, similar instances previously didnt result in large crowd turnout.
The restaurant then reaffirmed their commitment and love for their community stating: "We're very much family. We love on each other, we support each other. We're going to continue to make events, create events, especially free ones, for families to come out and have a good time with us."
Despite the chaos, some attendees enjoyed themselves, one even mentioned their lad "loved" the day. Another individual reminded everyone: "A free event. It is a risk you take."