The 10th annual Five Points Jazz Festival was a blast! “Once characterized as the “Harlem of the West” Five Points was a jazz mecca for legends such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and Count Basie to name a few.” This year’s festival featured Denver’s own Hazel Miller and a raft of the finest Jazz music, historical exhibits, lectures and much, much fun!

Colorado Clowns provided face painting and balloon twisting services as well as strolling entertainment for the Denver Five Points Jazz Festival.

Thirsty the Giant Parade Puppet visits Denver Water for a glass of cool deliciousness!

Denver Water was present doing outreach and education on the importance of water conservation during our drought.

FRESH calamari ! Mountain grown and only the freshest calamari from Luigi’s Fresh Seafood Restaurant !

It was a very last minute decision to bring Luigi’s fresh seafood out to play. Choosing which costume to wear, or which character to bring to the festival playground can be fraught with indecision and hesitation. In this case stalking the right costume ended in outrageous success. From the moment I stepped out, folks were asking about Luigi’s Restaurant, and where they could find it! I didn’t have the heart to tell them it was a a fraud and a figment of my imagination, and resorted to instructing them to look for luigi’s Restaurant at the next festival!

The mini Bubble Tower was a real hit with young and old alike. I received several compliments .

One of my students, “the Calvinater” made an appearance as well.

The Calvinater

Stan enjoys a taste test!

One of the more colorful storefronts in the Historic Five Points District.

Hope for a change Barber and Beauty Salon
stands out with their colorful storefront.

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Thought I would share one of the ways we try to be environmentally friendly while being frugal.  I’m always looking for ways to make connections in useful ways, and when I was offered a truck load of fabric banquet table cloths I jumped at the chance.

I was able to barter some of the fabric to a stay at home mom in exchange for sewing the first of our second generation Americana Bubble Tower sleeve covers.  Using our fabric she sewed dozens or maybe even 100′s of hair scrunchies for sale at craft shows to help support her family.  And some very cute dresses for her little girl!  Some guitar straps and hats and even some lounging pajamas from the velveteen like material.  Great fun

The “linens” for the most part are durable and colorfast polyester.  But we also ended up with a fair amount of metallic, lame, and even some gauze or lacy fabrics.  The dark blue velveteen was a nice rayon that we used to line my American stilt costume.  The white satin stripe material came in handy for the rest of the costume. The trim and the stars on the vest and pant legs are also from the table linens.

Billboard sign vinyl is another material we work with.  When the advertising campaign is over the tarps are usually discarded – taken to the dump.    Our COW Bubble Tower uses a painted billboard sign vinyl rescued from a similar fate.  We used a discarded sign vinyl as a tarp to protect our fabric until we could box it up and move it inside.

The COW BubbleYou® Bubble Tower -the world’s biggest bubble toy® !
Made from a recycled vinyl billboard and solar powered. Eco Friendly FUNtertainment!

BubbleYou® COW Bubble Tower -the world’s biggest bubble toy !®

COFFEE Bubble Tower at the People’s Fair.

Americana or patriotic design made from recycled red, white and blue table linens.

Our newest creation, the Rainbow ZEEbra Bubble Tower. Discarded zebra print polyester banquet table cloths are rescued from the rental linen industry and hand painted to create this festive design.

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The mini Bubble Tower is perfect for back yard celebrations or any event with a smaller venue or budget. School and church events, birthday parties, company picnics, HOA BBQ, Easter Egg Hunt or even block parties will benefit from one or more mini Bubble Towers. Using the same proprietary bubble making equipment as our 14 foot tall BubbleYou® Bubble Tower, the mini Bubble Tower uses a compact and easy to set up six foot tall stand. For a Bubble Storm performance, we use as many as six mini Bubble Towers! Daytime is a natural, and to add some excitement to an evening event, have a Flashlight Bubble Party! Great fun!

Call or email today to secure your reservation. Stretch@StiltWalker.com 303-922-4655

The Stilt Party, Clinic or Workshop is a terrific value. Entertaining to both participants and spectators! We bring dozens of old fashioned hand held wood stilts of several sizes, along with some bucket stilts. Nearly everyone from toddlers to grand parents can learn to walk on stilts! In fact, a lot of grandparents join the teens in showing off their stilt walking skills! With a little practice, and even more fun, we can include stilt races with stilt hurdles, or even a stilt tournament for team building. Birthday parties, libraries, county fairs, and festivals have been enjoying our Stilt Parties for nearly 15 years, and you can too! Call or email today for more information and to reserve your opportunity to practice perseverance, balance and coordination!

Ice Cream Social at City Park – come chase the bubbles!

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Not just for kids! Bubbles allow everyone to access their inner child!

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You CAN Do it! YES you can!

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Grandma on bucket stilts! All ages FUNtertainment !

Bubbles at a school function in Pueblo, CO

mini Bubble Tower atop the parking garage!

Pop’n bubbles at the Denver Five Points Jazz Festival

Stilt Party at the Willow Tree Festival in Gordon, NE

Stilt Party at the Willow Tree Festival in Gordon, NE

Stilt Party, Clinic or Workshop

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This is HUGE! NV Energy, our sponsor for the solar powered BubbleYou® Bubble Tower -the world’s biggest bubble toy ® at the Lakes Festival of Lights in Las Vegas, is shuttering FOUR coal fired power plants and switching to renewable energy and natural gas ! Details here:
http://lnkd.in/28Sz8D

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Grandma on bucket stilts! All ages FUNtertainment !

Many thanks to Heritage Square for again letting us help with their Easter Celebration!

With dozens of old fashioned hand held wood stilts and bucket stilts, the Rainbow Zeebra Bubble Tower, Stretch the nine foot clown and even a Giant Parade Puppet to greet our guests.

Stretch had a great time providing Free Weed Wacker Hair Cuts for everyone brave enough! Check out how thorough he is! ;:)

The Push Button was a hit as usual. Kids . . . and adults never tired of pushing the button.

Rainbow Zeebra Bubble Tower #2. Come chase the bubbles! Hand crafted from exotic Rainbow Zeebra hides.

Stretch the nine foot clown finishes up a Free Weedwacker Haircut for a guest at the Heritage Square Easter celebration.

Donald takes one of our Giant Puppets for a stroll at Heritage Square.

Bubbles!

More bubbles Please!

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Bubbles as a metaphor and compulsion:

Ritchie Rich,The poor little rich boy.
In 1974 as in other times and places, money and bubbles share an ephemeral plane. This photo belongs on the front page of the WSJ or Forbes perhaps?! For most of us of course, when the bubble pops, we are left with delightful memories, but no coin!

Why is the bubble so symbolic? We talk about all kinds of bubbles: soap bubbles, real estate bubbles, the tulip bubble, the internet bubble, bond bubbles, all kinds of financial bubbles.
Other examples of how soap bubbles have been used include these magazine covers:

“They are so thin, so airy, so fragile” A full page ad in the Ladies Home Journal , May 1922

Royal Crown Cola ad:
Fresh as a bubble!

Parents Magazine:
Bubbles as innocence.

Judge: Sept 24, 1912
Bubbles as carefree distraction. Even Cupid can get distracted by bubbles! Or is Cupid popping her dreams of love?

For some folks, bubbles capture their creative instinct, for others, bubbles satisfy their destructive compulsion.
Bubbles = universal appeal !

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Farm Show Magazine features the COW Bubble Tower: “Bubble Tower Adds “Clean Fun” To Any Event” reads the headline of Farm Show Magazine. Our solar powered COW Bubble Tower was featured with two nice photos. Farm Show Magazine for over 30 years has presented new ideas in agriculture, and “I made it my self” articles to thousands of farmers and ranchers across North America. Not just for farmers and ranchers, I particularly enjoy reading the gardening and shop tips, the “New Products for the Farm, Ranch and Home” and the section where farmers write in to nominate their “Best and Worst Buys”. Every issue could be titled “Ingenuity on parade”! This is the second time Farm Show Magazine has run a story on us. The solar powered COW BubbleYou® Bubble Tower -the world’s biggest bubble toy® is ideal entertainment for county fairs, city and town festivals, commercial and non profit promotions.

Someone who read the article posted on the farm maze FB page, and now I’m fielding calls from Indiana, Georgia, Wisconson and Alabama!  This could get interesting!  While we do NOT have any Bubble Towers for sale in 2013, I am collecting contact info should that change in the future.
 
http://www.farmshow.com/
click through to read the article as a pdf file:
Farm Show Bubble Tower feature article 2013—- 07

No waiting in lines, no ticket entry, no generator fumes, but unlimited hours of fun!
The solar powered Bubble Tower allows your company, community group or non profit to be featured, and visible from across the festival grounds.
We offer a full turnkey presentation including delivery, set up, operation, supervision, take down and removal and insurance.

The COW BubbleYou® Bubble Tower -the world’s biggest bubble toy® !
Made from a recycled vinyl billboard and solar powered. Eco Friendly FUNtertainment!

NO extra charge to feature your sponsor’s banners on the BubbleYou® Bubble Tower legs.
As a festival asset, the BubbleYou® Bubble Tower is very attractive to sponsors. People are not just exposed to a sponsor’s message, but have outrageous FUN !

“The Bubble Tower brings the added flair and WOW experience to an event. As sponsors, The Bubble Tower brings the public to us – like a magnet, we don’t have to go searching for them….they are hypnotized.” -Keisha Makonese, Bellco Credit Union

The COW Bubble Tower is a good match for dairy, ice cream, restaurant and beef sponsors. Made from a recycled vinyl billboard, and solar powered, it is eco friendly and a good match for any green industry.

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Paul Simms from Corporate Entertainment Professionals in the UK, is our guest blogger today. He says it better than I can; stilt walkers are becoming more popular at corporate events because event professionals increasingly recognize how stilt walkers can be a major asset for nearly any event. Besides entertaining your guests and sponsors, stilt performers draw the media, both social and traditional. When you hire stilt walkers, you can fully expect newspaper photographers and TV film crews to feature your UPstanding entertainment ! And don’t be surprised to find them posted to FB and YouTube as well !

Entertainment for all with stilt walkers
“Many people look for stilt walkers for hire to provide entertainment for an array of events. One of the most pleasing aspects of stilt walkers is that they appeal to a wide range of people and can be used to entertain both children and adults. When you book stilt walkers through entertainment agencies, you should expect the walkers themselves to be fully trained, highly-experienced and CRB checked – as well as insured. There are countless situations that you could book stilt walkers for, and they have been known to be used for promotional purposes, for parties, corporate events and even as street entertainers. More and more people are noticing how versatile they are, and their popularity is spreading notably as a result.
What to expect
You can even book stilt walkers to support any theme that you wish. If you find that a theme is not immediately offered by an agency you can expect bespoke services to be in place to ensure that your plans can be fully catered for. Some walkers can even combine stilt-walking with other skills such as juggling or balloon-modelling to wow your guests and enhance further the level of entertainment on offer. You can usually find stilt-walking acts to suit almost any budget, but some factors that may influence what you pay can include the day of the booking, location and the length of time that you wish to enjoy their services for. Some agencies are very flexible and will work around your budget in order for you to put on an exceptional event even when funds are limited.
Spreading excitement
You can expect stilt walkers to be fully trained, usually at circus schools. It is important to ensure that public liability insurance and CRB checks are in place, but any reputable agency will address these issues rigorously. The fact that stilt walking acts can appeal to people of all ages means that you can help ensure that all concerned can enjoy your event. The fact that they can be seen from far away also means that everyone can be involved in the entertainment that they offer without needing to struggle to view them. You can expect the walkers to fully engage with your guests and to contribute to a warm, welcoming and fun atmosphere at all times. Rather than being confined to a stage, they can also move around freely, spreading a feel of joy and excitement all around your chosen environment.
Accommodating your theme
Stilt walking acts can contribute to a virtually infinite number of different themes, so no matter what the nature of your event is, you can guarantee that they can slip in easily to help bring extra excitement and adventure to any event. Stilt walkers for hire that can offer multiple skills are highly sought after and can be relied upon to impress and engage with your guests, bringing an exciting party atmosphere to any environment.”
This article has been written by the Corporate Entertainment Professionals
Link Details:
book stilt walkers through entertainment agencies – http://corporateentertainmentprofessionals.co.uk/cep-performers-acts/stilt-walkers/
Corporate Entertainment Professionals - http://corporateentertainmentprofessionals.co.uk/

http://corporateentertainmentprofessionals.co.uk/

http://corporateentertainmentprofessionals.co.uk/

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Many thanks to Bellco Credit Union for sponsoring us in the Denver St Patrick’s Parade.

Giant Puppets put their heads together for last minute Comhairle (council) prior to stepping off at the Denver St Patrick’s Parade.

Backstage prior to the ST Patrick’s Parade is an exciting place. How do we get to the staging area? Where is the entrance? Who has the key to the gate? Where is the Giant Puppet head? Did everyone find a parking space in time? The wrench? The toilet?! We allow at least two hours to assemble the Giant Puppets, adjust their costuming, add the shamrocks, get the stilt bike put together, put on the stilts and stilt costumes, and get everyone warmed up and ready to go. Thankfully the St Patrick Parade volunteers are a patient and forgiving folk who put up with my impatience and let us into the parking area early to set up. THANK YOU!

Brent adjusts a Giant Puppet costume prior to the Denver St Patrick’s Parade. The parade staging area can be almost as entertaining as the parade! Despite a prediction of possible rain showers we were blessed with near perfect weather for the parade as well as set up and packing up.

Just like backstage at a theater, the Denver St Patrick’s Parade staging area at Coors Field parking lot is a place of excitement! We spread the Giant Puppets out for assembly and costuming, at least two parking spaces for each Giant Puppet. Where are the hands for this puppet? Oops a snap is broken, where are the safety pins? Curious folks stopping by to ask questions, and we need to move the truck to a new parking spot two lots over!

Puppeteer Donald Nash greets a dearg i gceannas ar tike (red headed youngster) at the Denver St Patrick’s Parade

The Bellco Credit Union parade contingent is split in two while waiting for traffic at a cross street. As a result we are spread out over nearly a city block. Pedaling my stilt bike in big circles, I chauffeured Lorcan the Leprechaun on his quest for gold, joining the two groups as best I could. Ahead of me are two Giant Parade Puppets being urged to “go faster, go faster” (!) behind me are two more Giant Puppets, Bellco employees with their parade banner setting the pace. Doug in his beautiful costume, red beard, and stilts greets the crowd. Following them are the two Bellco Prius autos, and a crowd of employees distributing swag to the eager crowd.

Eric Roth animates a Giant Puppet for the Denver ST Patrick’s Parade

The guys did great job entertaining the crowds with the Giant Parade Puppets. Always alert and on the lookout, they navigated around overhanging trees, dogs, road apples and broken beads on the pavement. With even a slight breeze accelerated by the towering buildings, they deftly navigated the route, pausing briefly for photos, handshakes and the occasional Giant Puppet dance!

I was afraid the guys were going to wear themselves out bending over to great the small fry! Needless to say, the endorphins were flowing!

On level ground with a breeze, animating the Giant Parade Puppets is a real work out. But bending over to shake hands on a downhill slope is even more so. But the smiles and cheers make it all worth while!

Giant Puppet hand shake!

IRISH Stretch astride his stilt bike, escorts Lorcan the Leprechaun around the Denver ST Patrick’s Parade. “Little fierce one” – a great name for a Leprechaun, don’t you think? !

Parade’s end.

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The solar powered BubbleYou® Bubble Tower -the world’s biggest bubble toy® , has a battery back up, so we can blow bubbles all night long!  In the second half of this clip, we use a big flashlight  and chase the bubbles!  What a fun way to add some more twinkle and fun to the bubbles.  Next time we will be sure to bring more flashlights!  Since the solar powered Bubble Tower doesn’t need a noisy generator we can place the Bubble Tower nearly anywhere on the festival grounds.  No noisy generator, no stinky exhaust to detract from the festive experience!  And no flammable fuel to spill or ignite.  A flashlight party with bubbles is a great supplement to your fireworks show,  or as a stand alone feature if your area is under fire watch restrictions.    And with the BubbleYou® Bubble Tower -the world’s biggest bubble toy®  you will have more bubbles for your flashlight party than you ever imagined!  Many thanks to Bellco Credit Union for sponsoring the  BubbleYou® Bubble Tower at the Colorado Irish Festival.

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