A hot dog joint in Las Vegas unwittingly hosted an "upsetting" Bluey-themed event last week, leaving several kids in tears.
Dirt Dog held the event, called "Bluey Day!," at one of its Sin City locations on May 11. The event was dedicated to the Australian children's show "Bluey," which is about a blue Australian Cattle Dog.
According to the Facebook event, the gathering advertised face-painting, special treats and "meeting Bluey and friends."
"Celebrate Bluey with Us!! Marathon of all the Bluey episodes!" the event promised.
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More than 3,000 people responded to the event on Facebook. But when people arrived at the event, they were disappointed by Dirt Dog's offerings – including a Bluey impersonator in a cheap costume whose face and beard were visible.
Mother Stephanie Hernandez told FOX 5 Vegas that children were "distraught" by the occasion.
"Some kids were crying. Some kids were upset, crying in their parents’ shoulders," the parent explained. "How could you do that to little kids: advertise something so fun and eventful for kids ranging from toddlers to 6, 7 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."
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Dirt Dog told FOX 5 that the restaurant expected less than 60 attendees to show up, and were overwhelmed by the response. Organizers were unaware of the children's show's popularity.
"Just now knowing who Bluey is, we would have planned ahead and would have had security," the spokesperson explained. "We’re very much family. We love on each other, we support each other. We’re going to continue to make events, create events, especially free ones, for families to come out and have a good time with us."
Residents wrote about how disappointed they were by the event on Facebook.
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"I drove one hour just to see a grown man in PJs," one person wrote.
"This was horrible and a waste of time," a mother wrote. "My daughter was super disappointed."
Dirt Dog told Fox News Digital that they "deeply regret" the May 11 event, and are planning a follow-up event that will feature a "real mascot and more activities."
"We deeply regret that the recent Bluey event did not meet the expectations we set and that we let down those who were excited to see a real mascot of the character Bluey," the business said.
