Among the rows of fresh produce at your local farmer’s market stands Charlie Chuckles with his face hidden under makeup and an elaborate patterned costume of frills at his table. The table is full of colorful, not to mention locally grown, cotton candy.
Chuckles began C. C. Candy with his wife, Carly Chuckles, while the two were finishing at University of Arizona College of Clowning. Being a vendor at the Phoenix Public Market began as a hobby, Chuckles said, but it had such booming success within the first year that he was able to turn it into a career.
“My wife and I were both majoring in clown culture,” said Charlie. “After meeting each other in an agriculture class, we came up with the idea for what would become C. C. Candy. We were both naturally curious about locally grown cotton candy and candy corn that we wanted to try it ourselves. It didn’t take long for us to fall in love with the craft.”
C. C. Candy is best known for its organic, gluten-free cotton candy. The Chuckles live on their farm where they grow the cotton candy as well as candy corn and lollipops. They explained the process is similar to that of growing fruits and vegetables, but “more fun.”
“One day, it’s just a small stalk and the next morning the sugar has woven itself into this yummy, dissolvable fluff,” said Carlie. “It’s white when it’s grown, and we add organic food coloring to make it bright and colorful.”
Farm-to-table practices are what makes C.C. Candy stand out among local produce purveyors. The business is a fixture at Phoenix Public Market and is looking to expand into places like Whole Foods and Sprouts.
Following in her parents footsteps is eight-year-old CiCi. With flowers up her sleeves and a card deck in hand, she performs simple magic tricks that ends up attracting customers of all kinds. Her giggle can be heard from across the square, luring everyone to watch her perform and sample fresh candy corn.
“CiCi is a natural entertainer,” said Charlie. “We didn’t even force her to come along to the market with us. Since before she could talk, she was interested in gardening and practicing her tricks.”
Not even CiCi could save the family from the sudden drop in sales. In light of the recent clown scares across the country, people have been reluctant to approach C. C. Candy.
“I’m not going to change who I am,” said Charlie. “I’m proud to be a clown, and I want to show my daughter that she should be proud to be a clown as well. People are too quick to judge one another. Our loyal customers are the only ones who seem convinced that we don’t haunt the streets at night.”
The hard times aren’t going to cause this clown family to stop doing what they love. They can be found at the Phoenix Public Market every Saturday morning selling local favorites and bringing new products this winter.
“We’ll be introducing lemon drops,” said Charlie. “We just got our hands on some seeds, and now is the best season to start growing. They’ve been a family favorite for generations, and I’m looking forward to sharing them with the community.”