Caricature artists have long been a part of fairs and parks, offering a unique custom souvenir from a day of fun. Theme parks picked up on this art form often featuring several styles of caricature drawings.
	In 2002, a new artist stand was opened near the Enchanted Tea Cup ride and was constructed of red supports and a blue sheet metal roof meant to complement the ride.  Housed in this new stand were caricature artists which brought back customized drawings to the area after a seven year absence. The new Caricature stand by the Tea Cups was small just like the original Caricature Portrait Artists stand, but had less covered area for the artists, requiring the addition of umbrellas over the chairs and easels outside of the main structure.
	Each season, the stand became more and more substantial.  At first it featured a simple back wall where examples of their artwork was placed to attract guests, but soon cabinetry was constructed for storage of additional sketches and supplies. Decorative signage with an eye-catching "Drawn While You Wait!" tagline and sample portraits adorned the roofline of the stand while multiple art display pillars extended the visible  reach of the stand into the higher traffic paths in front of the shop.
	The stand ended its long run as a caricature artist's outlet after the 2015 summer season.   With the premiere of the Holiday in the Park event a few months later, the caricature stand was pressed into service as a show venue for the Gumdrop Hop gingerbread people show. Simple red and green curtains were added to the structure, and the sign for the Caricatures was covered with a new holiday sign. When the park reopened for 2016, the caricature venue didn't return but was repurposed as a games stand.  A new GongFu audible game setup shop for the peak season before being rethemed once again as a home for a new variation on the gingerbread show called Dot & Drop's Holiday Dance Party for Holiday in the Park 2016.  That year's production included a colorful gingerbread house backdrop.
	For 2017, the stand housed several different games including the return of GongFu, a Guess Your Weight game, and a Quarter Back Challenge game.  A Christmas themed game called Reindeer Roundup was introduced for Holiday in the Park 2017. Since then, the stand has stood vacant with "Work Where You Play!" and "Now Hiring" advertising for Six Flags jobs.  It will be interesting to see what the future holds for this ever changing Caricatures by the Tea Cups stand.
Original Spotlight:  April 19, 2020.  GAH Reference#:  SHOP-2002-001