Parents criticize unauthorized ‘Bluey’ event at Vegas restaurant with pajama-clad bearded man

Parents expressed their frustration on social media over a disastrous event for children at a Las Vegas restaurant on May 11.

The venue Dirt Dog advertised an unofficial character meet and greet with Bluey, a massively popular animated dog from the Australian TV series of the same name. The original event description promised that attendees could “Watch Bluey all day” and also participate in face painting, games, a Bluey giveaway, and enjoy “sweet treats.”

Dirt Dog also said kids had a chance to meet “Bluey and friends.”

Parents headed to social media to complain about the poorly organized event, saying the restaurant ran out of refreshments almost immediately. They also noted that the Bluey character in attendance was nothing more than a man with a visible beard dressed in “Bluey pajamas.”

One mom on Facebook posted a photo of a different event she attended with a costumed Bluey character as a comparison.

“DO NOT GO! FALSE ADVERTISEMENT!!! Pic on the left (someone else’s photo) is what kids are waiting for at Dirt Dog. That’s what we were expecting. There are far better costumes out there. Pic on right was taken at Trunk r Treat event we took our kids to in the Silverton parking lot, they had going on last October,” she shared.

“That’s what we were expecting. There are far better costumes out there. What a shame they got all those kids hopes up,” the Facebook user added.

Another mom who attended the event told FOX5 Las Vegas, “The kids were distraught. Some kids were crying. Some kids were upset, crying in [sic] their parents’ shoulders.”

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“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,” attendee Stephanie Hernandez continued.

The outlet noted that the venue baked 125 cupcakes for the event and was surprised by the turnout, despite more than 3,000 people responding to the event notice on Facebook. Dirt Dog’s marketing spokesperson told FOX5 that a high number of Facebook responders doesn’t always equate to a high turnout.

“We expected like maybe 50 to 60 people – not in the sense of like the whole city coming out. Just now knowing who Bluey is, we would have planned ahead and would have had security,” Taj Wilder told the outlet.

The restaurant responded to the backlash with a follow-up social media post.

“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,” they wrote on Facebook.

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