NEWPORT, N.H. (WCAX) – Peeps are an iconic marshmallow candy that pretty much all of us have experienced around the Easter holiday. But at the Library Arts Center in Newport, New Hampshire, Peeps are seen in a whole new light.
“This is Pop and this is Nana and this is my mom and this is me,” said Daxton Hamel, explaining his Peeps diorama, one of roughly 100 displays that currently fill the arts center.
Hamel says he’s never actually eaten a Peep, only licked one. “It tastes like a ton of sugar. And who doesn’t like sugar, right? I like sugar.”
And he’s in the right place. There’s a princess Peep, Peeps in a pen, Peeps playing football, swimming Peeps, a Peep fortress, Peeps in the park, and Mount Olympeeps. And Is that Taylor Swift and her Peeps? Actually, it’s Taylor Sweet.
“Peeps seem to be a playful fun medium that help everyone feel like and artist no matter their age or background,” said the center’s Kate Luppold. She says they has been putting on the diorama confection contest for over a decade. Prizes go to the winners in several age groups. The event is designed to bring the community together, including art lovers who have never stepped through the doors. “Its a great opportunity for people to engage with us and learn about what this organization does and what we offer for the community.”
Peeps are not Daxton’s favorite sweet. “I will tell you what candy I like. I like cherry lollipops,” Hamel said. But the five-year-old is a big fan of his cousin’s Peep wrestling match, and other fun ways to enjoy a marshmallow. “Two graham crackers and roast a marshmallow and squish them together — on a stick, and then pull the stick out and then eat ‘em.”