$25 Challenge: the Purple Penguin Candy Emporium is the nostalgic candy shop of your dreams 🍬

May 19, 2026
May 19, 2026

Can we all agree that as children, there was nothing we wanted more than for Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory to be real.

To be able to go to a place filled with decadent milk chocolate and everlasting gobstoppers would’ve been heaven, filling our pockets with every sweet treat we could find.

Now what if I told you there’s a place like that right here in Tucson?

As soon as you step foot into the Purple Penguin Candy Emporium, 3392 E. 22nd St., you’ll feel as if you’ve time traveled back into your childhood where you finally found the golden ticket.

Since I have a sweet tooth, I knew I had to check out this local candy store for the $25 challenge and I couldn’t have been more excited.

You’re welcomed in by a line of giant M&Ms that guard the door, looking as if they were having a conversation with one another. When you walk in, you’ll suddenly be overwhelmed with childlike wonder and amusement.

Teddy bears, carousel horses, a Betty Boop figurine, a life-size Cousin Itt doll and nutcrackers fill every corner of the candy shop. You can’t help but smile as you take in all their nostalgic décor.

Of course, the real star of the show is the piles and piles of candy and sweet treats that line the shelves. Anything you can dream of is there, calling your name to come over and take it home.