Saying hello once again to Hello Kitty

It is created by only a few strokes — a white, mouthless, single-expression bobtail cat with a red bow.

Kitty craze · As part of Sanrio’s celebration of half a century of its company, Santa Monica was full of decorated cars, themed desserts and even people in costume paying homage to Hello Kitty and her friends. - Sophia Lee | Daily Trojan

Yet, since the dawn of its creation in 1974 by the Japanese company Sanrio, Hello Kitty has been appended to every consumer product imaginable from pens, bags and plush toys to lunch boxes and toasters. And now, this blank-faced feline has arrived in Southern California to celebrate Sanrio’s 50th birthday.

Small Gift Los Angeles, a 10-day event at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar, started the party last Friday and continues its celebration of all things Sanrio until Sunday.

Hello Kitty is not just for little girls in pink tutus and sparkly shoes. More than half the attendees on last Saturday’s Fan Appreciation Day were adults; some of them parents, but a significant number were genuine fans, excitedly toting cameras and Hello Kitty bags.

Many fans dressed up for the occasion, wearing Hello Kitty-adorned shirts and stockings, painting the trademark whiskers on their faces, and putting on headbands with a giant pink bow or cat ears. Some even traveled across the continent to Santa Monica just for this event.

Hello Kitty enjoys an almost cult-like following in all ages and races. The character was initially a huge hit in Asia and then spread to the Western Hemisphere, appearing on all sorts of consumer products, from stationery to kitchen appliances.

The wide popularity of this character led to the creation of many more Sanrio characters, such as Badtz-Maru, a spiky-haired penguin with an attitude, and Keroppi, a frog with bug eyes.

As expected, Sanrio went all out for its birthday bash. Enter Barker Hangar and you will be overwhelmed by the wealth of events going on at all corners. There is a mini golf course, two Hello Kitty smart cars, a gift shop, an art exhibition, a ferris wheel, food vendors, workshop areas and several game booths all crowded within the tight space. Giant balloons of the characters’ heads, each about the size of a small room, bob around the ceiling.

Although entrance is free, be prepared to spend money — lots of money. The parking fee itself is $10, so carpool if you can. The workshops, which differ every day and range from sushi bento-making to sand art, cost $25 each session.

In fact, Sanrio’s motto “Small Gift, Big Smile” can also be translated to “Small Gift, Big Money.” Its products are notoriously expensive, with the license’s net worth   at more than $1 billion. But the pop-up gift shop at Small Gift L.A. still had a long line that snaked across the hangar as attendees lined up for hours to stock up on $4 Hello Kitty pens and $60 Hello Kitty tote bags.

Bored boyfriends can also have fun at the indoor carnival, where they can try to score a plush doll for their significant others by “shooting stars” at the Little Twin Stars or throwing rings at the Chocopand Dough Toss. But once again, be prepared to stay in line and pay. Each ticket costs $2, and every game booth, golf course and ride requires a different amount of tickets.

Lines were also long at the several food trucks that visited to feed hungry fans, such as the popular Grilled Cheese Truck and Flying Pig truck. Just because Hello Kitty doesn’t have a mouth doesn’t mean she can’t feed her fans.

Besides regular food truck grub, fans who have wondered what Hello Kitty tastes like can also literally grab a taste of their favorite icons at Yogurtland. The popular yogurt chain has teamed up with Sanrio to serve character-inspired frozen yogurt and toppings at a flat rate of $5. Beard Papa, the popular Japanese cream puff bakery, also whips up some “Hello Kitty flavor” with a strawberry cream puff with sprinkles.

The free events, however, are actually the most entertaining.

Jamie Rivadeneira, owner of JapanLA, a Japanese pop culture shop off Melrose Avenue, curates an art exhibition that showcases artworks by 50 artists spinning their own interpretations on the iconic character.

Despite the minimalist artistry needed to draw the simple-lined characters, artists find Hello Kitty to be a good base to get their creative juices flowing, as she becomes demonized and fantasized under the imaginative hands of these artists.

In one particular painting, Hello Kitty is served up on a platter like a trussed turkey; in another sculpture, she takes on punk form, wielding armory, sporting bruises and surrounded by graffiti. Yet in another artwork, Hello Kitty takes on the pose of Jesus in DaVinci’s “The Last Supper,” breaking bread with her other Sanrio friends.

Viewing is free, but all of the artwork is for sale and selling fast, according to JapanLA. A 8.5-by-11 print costs between $25 to $40, and the original artworks sell for far more.

But opportunities to take your own pictures are free, and there are plenty of them: character props, fans in wacky costumes and life-size Sanrio characters pop up from time to time. Many attendees also climb inside Hello Kitty smart cars to pose for pictures.

Even if all other events may seem disappointing, the bragging rights — and photographic evidence — that you once met a bigger-than-life-sized Hello Kitty in a ball gown will make the trip worthwhile.