West Palm Beach, Fla. — A birthday cake eating competition, entertainment, kids’ activities, gifts with purchases and free kisses for all will be part of Palm Beach Outlets’ one-year birthday celebration on Feb. 14. In addition, up to 25 mothers who gave birth on the day Palm Beach Outlets was “born” on Feb. 14, 2014 will be recognized. The activities will begin at 11 a.m. and continue through 4 p.m.
“These mothers couldn’t be with us last year as they were in labor and we wanted to give them a chance this year to be a special part of our celebration,” said Palm Beach Outlets’ Marketing Director Pam Rada.
Any mother who birthed a child on Feb. 14, 2014 at a Palm Beach County hospital is eligible to sign up for the Outlets’ “A Shopper is Born” recognition, which includes a free brunch, a baby gift and a goodie bag. It’s limited to the first 25 moms who pre-register. Those who qualify should send an email to info@palmbeachoutlets.com and include the time of birth, hospital name, baby name and mother’s name.
It was on Valentine’s Day one year ago that Palm Beach Outlets opened to much fanfare with a ribbon cutting, celebrity fashions and charitable tie-ins. The shopping center opened with 90 stores and today features more than 130 retail shops and three additional restaurants/eateries. Additionally, since its inception, Marketplace at the Outlets, which is adjacent to and managed by the Outlets, opened in October.
Credited by West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio as being a symbol of the economic revitalization that’s happening in the city, Palm Beach Outlets has delivered in drawing both area residents and tourists.
“We have been very pleased with the number of shoppers our center has attracted in the past year,” said Palm Beach Outlets’ Marketing Director Pam Rada. “Our traffic counts for the first six months — which adds up to some four million shoppers — indicates a bright future not only for our tenants but for shoppers who are looking for great deals as well.”
The highlight of the Outlets’ birthday celebration will be the world’s first birthday cake-eating championship sanctioned by Major League Eating and sponsored by Whole Foods, which will open at the Marketplace at the Outlets on Feb. 25.
This eight-minute, all-you-can-eat championship will feature a field of 12 eaters battling for their share of $5,000 in cash prizes. Matt Stonie, the #2-ranked eater in the world, set an eating exhibition world record by consuming 5.5 pounds of birthday cake in just under nine minutes on his 21st birthday. In the first-ever sanctioned championship, Stonie will go head-to-head against the #4-ranked eater Miki Sudo, who has consumed 104 hard-boiled eggs in eight minutes. Other top eating talent will include the #11-ranked Juan Rodriguez, the #24-ranked Crazy Legs Conti, the #27-ranked Nate Biller, and the fearsome Floridian power eater Bill Weller of Orlando.
Musicians and entertainers throughout the property will add to the ambiance and kids will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities. Shoppers who purchase a total of $100 or more at the Outlets’ stores will receive a free Palm Beach Outlets bag by showing their receipt at the customer relations desk inside the food court. And everyone will receive free Hershey’s kisses, while supplies last. After all, the retail center shares its birthday with Valentine’s Day!
For more information, call (561) 515-4400 or go online to www.palmbeachoutlets.com, Facebook, or twitter.
Palm Beach Outlets, located directly off Interstate 95 on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard in West Palm Beach, is Palm Beach County’s first outlet center. More than 100 stores are featured, including brand favorites Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Ann Taylor Factory Store, Express Factory Outlet, Kenneth Cole, DKNY, Under Armour, and White House | Black Market. Marketplace at the Outlets, a 300,000 square foot retail center, sits adjacent to Palm Beach Outlets and features 20 stores including Nordstrom Rack, Old Navy, DSW Shoe Warehouse, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and more coming. New England Development and Eastern Real Estate developed both properties.