With the streets of Weyburn packed for the Car Show on Saturday, it was a great day for the Grand Opening celebration at Stranger Danger Candy Co., which opened its doors in April of this year.

Owner DeLea Lark explained the meaning behind the name of the store. 

"It's more of a play on words. In my previous life, I did social work, and I learned very quickly that 'stranger danger' was a myth. It was perpetuated to make parents feel better. It wasn't what was actually happening, and because it takes a village to raise kids. I have five of them, so I figured we'll make this part of the village."

"It was the idea that there's just a man out there with candy in a van just hanging out, like just waiting for you. And it was like, 'oh, that's so scary'. But then as we got older, we realized that's not real, like, candy's expensive. He's not just going to give it to us." 

She said they wanted to make it fun, and Gen Xers not only get the concept, but they love the candy, too.

"Our biggest excitement in the store is when we have adults walk in and [gasp in awe]. It gives me goosebumps. I love it like it's the best thing. Ever."

"I have so many people to come in and go, 'oh, I have to bring my kids', but I have to say, 'no, you can do this, too. You're allowed to have the taffy'.

"Because adults like candy, too, that's our slogan because everyone forgot about us. We forgot about us, so that's why there's some of the weirder stuff like the chocolate mousse Oreos and a little bit more of an adult palette."

Nostalgia is certainly behind the product selection, and even things found everywhere are big hits, like Cuban lunches, Gobstoppers, Toxic Waste Bins, 'penny candy', original licorice pipes with the red beads, and Neapolitan taffy.

Lark noted the desire to open such a store came from traveling the world but not finding the comfort candies in many of the places she visited.

"I just missed some of the snacks I had, and I was like, 'everybody should experience them'," she said. "The world is a scary, scary place, and the world could use a little bit more sweet, so why not invite the whole world in? So that's what we did. So we've got 12 countries now and we're working on more. We're working on Dubai, I'm working on UAE."

"Most of our items, you can't just go anywhere and get," she continued. "And most Canadian companies, big ones, won't import them because there's duty costs," she explained. "There are very few like companies in Canada that will bring it in because it does cost a little extra to brand."

Currently her inventory includes items from the U.S., New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Germany, UK, Scotland, Ireland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, and China. She said it's difficult to find sugar-free, aspartame-free products even in the U.S.

Biggest sellers include pickles, cotton candy, and sunflower seeds.

"The cotton candies because they're weird. I can barely keep in stock the pickles and the sunflower seeds. Anything spicy seems to go almost immediately, and then the old school stuff, the retro, and just weird stuff."

The weirdest thing in the store currently is a selection of suckers that contain ants.

"The Hot Licks Ant Suckers, they're weird and creepy, but they'll buy them. They're actually good. I swear they're good. They're real black ants built inside of blueberry or banana as a sucker."

Another strange item was inspired by none other than TikTok. Lark said she's currently building 'shamoy kits'.

"So basically it's one of those Van Houlton's Pickles rolled in a fruit roll up with tahin sauce and it's drizzled over top and then, yeah, and you eat the pickle with the fruit roll up with the tahin sauce. So it's like a savory, spicy, sweet all at once."

From Bob Ross energy drinks to limited edition flavours of soda, and candles with candy scents, the product line seems to have no limit for variety. This is a good thing, because some of the items can not be found again.

"Some things come in, and then they just stop making them. I've got brown sugar and coconut Pockys right now. Those are very limited edition from Japan. Some countries in Asia really like to try very different things. They like to try everything. They've got the melon and they've got orange and dark chocolate Kit Kats right now, and things like that. And they don't make the standard-sized bars. They make the minis. And so that's how they test it. But yeah, they are constantly changing things and they love their candy. So there is so much weird stuff going on." 

While you can find products from around the world at Stranger Danger, you can also find some local products as well.

Local young entrepreneurs, the Bomber Sisters are selling their products in the store now.

"They're amazing and they have like hot chocolate bombs and chocolate-covered candy and like things like that."

"Then I brought Sky's the Limit Comics, they're a family from town that used to own a comic book store here, and so they have a bunch of old vintage comics still, so we brought them in because, 'comics and candy'."

Lark added they also have pinatas created by CollabArtive Studios. "They actually build all the pinatas for me and I fill them," she explained. 

Also, Welsh Kitchen creates 'Stranger Danger' donuts using candy from the store.

"We were surprised. We didn't know they were doing it, and so [Vicky] came in, she bought a bunch of candy the one day and said, 'let me try a few things'. I'm like, 'okay, awesome', and then she came back with these donuts and they're amazing. The glaze is made out of Millions candy from here."

She said they also have their own freeze-drying machine and those also fly off the shelves.

"We actually have a third party helping us now, Jub Jubs out of Wilcox. He has some really cool ideas," she noted. 

Freeze-dried pickles are a popular item, and Lark added they also do custom freeze-drying for local businesses.

"By the way, they're really good, if you crush any of the freeze-dried stuff up and put it on top ice cream."

The store also features art on the walls made by local artists. Stranger Danger is located on Third Street in the Metro Centre Mall.