COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nutty Buddy, Cosmic Brownies, Oatmeal Creme Pie: Little Debbie Park displays sculptures of snack favorites.
These days, nothing beats a great photo op and a great one has just opened in Tennessee. It includes some very familiar sights and an even more familiar face and name. It might just be worth the trip for you.
"I try to get the outline shape of the head, the silhouette," said sculptor Alex Paul Loza, working on a new piece.
He turned his attention to previous works.
"This one's in Gettysburg in front of the courthouse," Alex said, holding up a model of one statue.
Sometimes it's just a subject that speaks to him.
"We all have a different gesture that we constantly do," Alex continued. "Sometimes that's the key for me to capture someone's likeness."
Capturing one particular likeness has been an unforgettable project for Alex. It's a face and name you definitely know. Little Debbie. A statue by Alex of the brand icon now stands at the just-opened Little Debbie Park in Collegedale.
"Collegedale is the home of Little Debbie snack cakes," said Mayor Morty Lloyd. "When the wind is blowing from west, we can sit on our back deck and gain weight!"
Morty tells us McKee Foods, owner of the Little Debbie brand, approached Collegedale with the idea to create the park and gift it to the city. In addition to getting Alex on board to create the Little Debbie sculpture, the park plan came with a few more ideas to get people talking.
"The only thing better than a Little Debbie is a giant Little Debbie," smiled the mayor. "We have people coming in from everywhere. We never dreamed it."
"The sculptures are the cutest thing ever!" a visitor to the park said, looking out over the statues of various Little Debbie snacks dotting the park grounds.
"I've seen Oatmeal Creme Pie, Cosmic Brownies, Nutty Buddys, that Christmas Tree Cake," said a kid looking around the park. "I think it's awesome."
"I think this is not just for kids, but for grown-ups," Alex added. "I've been surfing on the Oatmeal Creme Pie! It sparks that childhood memory in you."
Visitors, a mayor, and especially a sculptor are now park of a park's story.
"I had my seven-year-old daughter help me by posing [as Little Debbie]," Alex said. "So, my family was involved with it. It was very humbling for me to be selected for this piece. To see people enjoy the artwork, talk about the artwork, it reconfirms your calling, why you're doing this work."
