This whole neighbourhood transformed into a real-world Barbieland for Halloween
Daybreak — a community in South Jordan, Utah — comes together to make a 'picture perfect' theme
On this small island community in South Jordan, Utah, things are a little different this time of year.
Where children run and play between the houses and white picket fences stand tall, neighbours offer a friendly wave and say, "Hi Barbie," in this real-world Barbieland.
This Halloween, Daybreak, a residential area in South Jordan, spent weeks putting together a real-world Barbieland. It's filled with themed homes, pink decorations and, of course, all the Barbies and Kens.
Justin Gallegos and Liz Teran Gallegos are masquerading as Disco Ken and President Barbie. They have even transformed their home into their own Barbie Dreamhouse.
"The Barbie Dreamhouse is a smattering of hot pink, the pillars to our home are hot pink," Justin told As It Happens host Nil Köksal.
The Barbie movie, which has made more than $1 billion US so far, has reached millions of people around the world. Maile Tucker, a 10-year-old girl from Daybreak, loved it so much she had the idea to turn her whole neighbourhood into Barbieland.
"Since we're all neighbours and so close to each other we were like, Maile, that's a brilliant idea," Liz said to Köksal.
Daybreak has a reputation for going above and beyond on Halloween. In fact, just a few houses over from Barbieland, stands a Harry Potter house, a Stranger Things house and a Disney's Encanto house.
What makes Barbieland so special is the 20 houses collectively coming together as a community to create a larger, more engaging experience for Halloween.
Each household chose their own theme, some classic and some paying homage to the Barbie movie. There is a house for Beach Barbie, one for Graveyard Barbie, and Haunted Barbie, for Pool Party Barbie, Astronaut Barbie, and Real World Barbie. There's a Barbie Barn, Barbie Pet Shop, and even the movie's infamous Weird Barbie's house and the Mojo-Dojo-Casa-House for the Kens and their horses.
The little island neighbourhood is "picture perfect," Terra Spencer, who is dressing as Real-World Barbie, told CBC. "It's about us coming together and doing something for the community."
Diedra Smith moved to Daybreak only a few months ago. Not knowing anyone, she was excited to be included in Barbieland.
"Because of this I know everyone now," she told CBC.
It started with a few families and then another, and another, until their whole neighbourhood was involved. The lights and copious amounts of pink dominate the island.
"Someone sent us a picture from an airplane. You can actually see it at night," said Justin.
The whole experience feels surreal to residents and visitors. The view from the street and above is "out of the world," Smith, a.k.a. Astronaut Barbie, said.
The film's strong feminist message was not lost on the Barbies in Daybreak's Barbieland. Even Graveyard Barbie has a tombstone which reads RIP The Patriarchy.
The theme empowers both Barbies and Kens, says Liz. Kens are, as the film describes, "Kenough." They can do anything they want, and be whoever, they want, just like Barbies — and just like the residents in Barbieland.
Daybreak Barbieland has gone international through a viral TikTok. Now people in the neighbourhood are wondering what to do next year.
Do they try to top this year, or simply go back to classically simple Halloween decorations?
Liz says she believes that they have to do something even bigger next year.
"The pressure is definitely on," she said.
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