EASTON, Pa. — How many crayons does it take to fill up a box?
More than a hundred families traveled from near and far Friday to answer that question, forming a line out the door of Easton’s Crayola Experience.
The long line formed in response to Crayola’s National Crayon Day celebrations.
In honor of the March 31 holiday, Crayola has committed to giving away 1 million crayons across their stores nationwide from March 29-31.
Participants got a voucher for a free 32-count crayon box, which they got to fill by hand-picking from the “Pick Your Pack” crayon wall.
In addition to choosing from the wall, which features nearly half a million crayons in 74 colors, participants also had the opportunity to choose from Crayola’s Colors of the World collection.
“What's special about this year is we have 24 additional colors of the world, so they can match their true hue of their skin tone,.” <br/>Crayola store General Manager Jennifer Murray
“What's special about this year is we have 24 additional Colors of the World choices, so they can match their true hue of their skin tone,” Crayola store General Manager Jennifer Murray said.
Through April 7, there will be free Colors of the World activities inside the Crayola store.
Attendees can find their “true hue” crayon color, add to a community art project and draw a self-portrait, using the crayon the best resembles their skin tone.
Grade-schooler Colten Lamey said his dad helped him discover his “true hue” — the “Light Rose” crayon.
In addition, he added a “Piggy Pink” crayon to his box so that he could draw a picture of a pig for his grandma.
“She likes pigs,” he said.
Larger than previous years
Some of the participants were meticulous about their choices, choosing a variety of different crayon colors and careful not to overlap any.
Others, such as youngster Jameson Hockenburry, were pragmatic. He said he added multiples of the same crayon to his box in case he lost any.
“I like this one because of the glitter,” he said, holding four of the “maroon glitter” crayons in his hand.
Later, he added a tiny fistful of brown crayons to his box.
“It’s just so special. Everyone remembers getting their first box of crayons, and the smell, and it's just going to be a really, truly fun experience for everybody.”Crayola store General Manager Jennifer Murray
Multiple parents in line voiced their surprise at the amount of people in the building.
Marc Bradley said that because of the long line, his family didn't plan to visit Crayola's upstairs attractions.
“One day when my sister’s gone to school and I’m not, that day I’m going back to the Crayola Factory,” Theadora Bradley, his daughter, said.
Murray, the general manager, said this year’s One Million Crayon Giveaway turnout was larger than previous years.
She said she thinks the event attracts a lot of participants because of its fun and free nature.
“It’s just so special,” Murray said. “Everyone remembers getting their first box of crayons, and the smell, and it's just going to be a really, truly fun experience for everybody.”
The One Million Crayon Giveaway continues until Monday. Interested parties can find vouchers online at the Crayola website.
