If you’re Heading west on Fullerton from Logan Square to Hermosa, it’s impossible to miss Dulcelandia. Its otherwise dreary facade—wedged among lots of other dreary facades—is lit by an enormous, rainbow-colored neon sign. The fluorescent glow from inside backlights rows and rows of roughly three-feet-tall papier-mache humanoids: from an orange-haired mermaid that resembles a certain Disney character to masked lucha libre-style wrestlers to a caped guy whose likeness is similar to that of Superman.
He’s visited some of the areas where the pinatas are created, small mountain villages with no cell reception or indoor plumbing. And though crafters are essentially creating something to be battered to death by a sugar-loaded birthday boy or girl, they take pride in their work. Dulcelandia’s other main import is, as the name indicates, candy—specifically varieties popular in Mexico. Rodriguez says they do get a decent amount of crossover business (“a lot of non-Hispanics come in for our chile candy”), but the store has a emotional impact on Mexican expats. “People reminisce about the old country and we’re bringing them back to their youth,” he says.
3855 W. Fullerton 773-235-7825dulcelandia.com
