Last September I planned a birthday party for my two-year-old daughter and eight of her friends – a fairly simple endeavor, I thought. I was wrong. Several days before the party, I set out one morning to look for napkins that suggested Christina’s favorite plaything – our cat. After locating kitten napkins, I began searching for matching invitations, plates, tablecloth, and party favors. Eight hours and seven party supply stores later, I’d found what I needed. Too late, however, to save some of the items left in the car from the hot summer sun. My color-coordinated candles had melted on my kitty-shaped balloons. The party didn’t fare much better. As the last little darling left the house, one sweeping glance at my living room revealed that my carpet now matched the tablecloth, napkins, plates, cups and cake.
Although most children do have a good time at any party and house and mother generally recover after a couple of weeks, there are less exasperating ways to celebrate such big events in a child’s life as birthdays. In this area, there are a number of party services from which to choose, depending on the party site and the amount of time and money you wish to spend.
If you’d like to avoid the all-day search for party supplies, give The Party Wagon a call. Owner Mary Jo Sparks will come to your home and help you choose a theme. She’ll provide you with invitations and return the day of the party with all the matching paper products, decorations, party favors, cake and other refreshments. The average price for her service is $2 per person. She can be contacted at 341-7059.
Other services provide entertainment. In Fort Worth, call Linda Arnold. “We manufacture fun,” says Arnold, owner of The Fun Factory, 3405 South Jones Street. Her shop is complete with assorted carnival booths, helium tanks and balloons, and popcorn and cotton candy machines. These booths can be rented for $25 each, but you must arrange to have them transported, set up and returned yourself. For $50, The Fun Factory will relieve you of this hassle and will supply you with one booth containing two games – your choice of anything from the fish pond to the ring toss game. But you’re on your own with decorations and refreshments.
The Fun Factory also offers parties at a ranch in Justin, Texas. Located about 30 miles west of Dallas, the spacious grounds overlooking Denton Creek feature horses, a swimming pool, playground equipment, a trampoline and a recreation center where the party-goers can enjoy a theme-designed cake, ice cream and punch. At this party, the host or hostess’ only duty is to drive the children there and return them home. The price for this all-day affair begins at $70 for 20 children; it can be arranged by calling their metro number, 429-2981.
One party giver, Ann Moerbe, has capitalized on the Star Wars fad. When a child arrives at her Star Wars celebration, he enters the world of R2-D2, spaceships and supernatural powers. He dons a mask and antennae to fit in with the sci-fi decor. The cake is designed like a space ship, and prizes for various outer space games include small animals resembling those in the movie. Everything but invitations is included for a price beginning at $80.
When Moerbe is not wearing a space suit, she’s usually dressed as “Jingles the Clown.” Jingles provides several other theme parties, like a doll tea party, a wild west festivity, or a circus. And all include entertainment. These parties can either be in your home or at the Spring Valley Country Club in North Dallas. Plans can be made by calling either 233-5224 or the country club, 387-1977.
The Sesame Street Party is the most popular one done by Birthday Wonderland, a full party service operated by Marie White and Ann Nicholson in Irving. They provide the invitations, come early to decorate the house in Sesame Street decor, bring the paper products, favors, drinks, ice cream and their Big Bird cake, a 12-inch-high replica of the TV character. As an added surprise, Big Bird himself makes a guest appearance and joins in the birthday celebration. The price for this party is $75. Other parties begin at $25 and can be done in any theme. Call them at 251-2045.
Children will enjoy a unique form of entertainment at any party given by The Living Dolls, a party service owned by the father-daughter team of Melody and Robert Schick. They specialize in”mime-quin,” a combination mime and mannequin act, much like Shields and Yarnell. The Schicks provide the cake, decorations, and paper products, all coordinated in your child’s favorite theme, plus an hour and a half of entertainment. Their repertoire includes miming stories, such as Peter and the Wolf, Alice and The Mad Hatter, Rubbles and Bows the Clowns, and the Toymaker and His Doll, an act they performed last Christmas at NorthPark. Robert has been performing as a professional mime since 1946, Melody since 1963. They also teach the children how to participate in mime games. In one game, the children are ushered into an imaginary car and drive to an imaginary tennis court to play – you guessed it – imaginary tennis. “Before the party is over, we end up learning new games from the kids,” says Ms. Schick. This party costs $100 for 15-20 children. Call them at 233-0188.
Jo-Jo the Clown, alias Elmar Jones, has been entertaining children and groups for over 30 years. He can be booked through Joan Frank Productions (522-3240). The secret to Jo-Jo’s success is his gentle nature and his magic tricks that never work. “Kids are naturally sadistic,” laughs R. D. Leonard, manager of Joan Frank Productions. “They love to see adults getting it, and when his scarves don’t come out of the hat and his card tricks backfire, the children are ecstatic.” Jo-Jo also makes balloon animals, a feat he can perform in 13 seconds. He charges $50 for an hour’s entertainment, plus all the balloons.
Another popular clown is Kimo. who can walk on stilts, juggle, eat fire and do pantomimes. He charges $75 an hour and provides the children with candy and balloon animals. He can be booked through Joy Wyse talent agency, 826-0330.
Joan Frank’s agency seems to be a good source of talent for children’s parties. In addition to Jo-Jo, the company manages the careers of Deena the Chimp, a chimpanzee who’s a favorite guest at birthday celebrations ($75 an hour), Christe’s Marionettes, and Margit and Helmore’s Canine Circus. Mr. and Mrs. Christe operate the 35-member troupe of marionettes whose routines include the presentation of a fairy tale play and 10 vaudeville acts. The canine circus, featuring nine dogs, performs tricks like jumping through hoops, walking a tightrope, climbing a ladder, or doing a high dive, all at the direction of the party’s honoree, who acts as ring master.
For $65, Ellen MacBride, who has been doing parties for over eight years, will send The Critters to your home. The cast includes Raggedy Ann and Andy; Hearts and Flowers, a slapstick comedy clown duo; Gwendolyn and the Green Thing; Tammy and T-Bones, her dog; and Magnolia and Beauregard, two Southern mice. My favorite act is Witchie-Pooh and the Green Thing, a large creature costumed head to knee in variegated green yarn with matching stockings and booties. The absent-minded Witchie-Pooh introduces her green friend apologetically by saying “Everyone makes mistakes,” and explains that she put a curse on the creature several years ago and forgot the words to undo it. Each set of characters performs a 30-minute skit and then engages the children in games and songs (350-9481).
If your party has a carnival theme, one unusual guest could be Jimmy Crack Corn – Jim Gaspard and his restored 1915 peanut and popcorn vending wagon. The old-fashioned wagon, which in the early 1900’s served lumber camps in the Ozark Mountains, can add an air of authenticity to any carnival party. Gaspard pops corn while the children watch, he provides peanuts and helium balloons, and has inserted an 8-track tape recorder into his machine that will play anything from carnival and calliope music to Disney tunes. The cost is $75 for four hours, including popcorn and balloons. Call 827-9875.
If you’d rather get away from home and the inevitable ice cream and punch mess, try Pennywhistle Park. This indoor carnival is jammed with eight exciting rides plus facilities for a cake and ice cream feast. Prices range from $15 for five children, including hot dogs, soft drinks, popcorn and eight tickets each for the rides, to $43 for 50 children who have unlimited access to rides. At this party, cake and ice cream are provided as well as paper products, drinks, and party favors. The birthday child also receives a Pennywhistle t-shirt and a special gift. Pennywhistle Park, 10717 E. Northwest Hwy., 348-8297.
For ice cream lovers, Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour at Valley View and Town East shopping centers provides a tempting birthday package. Children’s eyes light up at the “Zoo Party,” as they see 7 1/2 pounds of assorted flavors of ice cream and topping covered with bananas and whipped cream appear before them. When the ice cream is delivered, a siren blares, a drum roll is given, lights flash and a bell rings as the waiters and waitresses gather around the birthday child to sing “Happy Birthday.” The children also receive party hats and soft drinks. The price for the party and fanfare is $2.25 per child. Other party packages are available. Farrell’s, Valley View Center, 233-8890: Town East Mall, 270-2386.
At Olla Podrida’s Haymarket Theatre, children are entertained with a puppet show and afterwards enjoy their cake and ice cream in the lobby where a table, complete with tablecloth, napkins, utensils, and cups, has been prepared. Parents have to supply the cake and ice cream, but drinks can be purchased separately at the theater. The cost is $1.25 per person for the show, plus $ 10 for the table and paper products for 15 children. The party must be scheduled to coincide with their shows, which are at 10:30, 11:30 and 4 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Call 233-1958.
The most extravagant bash, a party your child would never forget, is probably the one staged by Guy Steele, proprietor of The Movie Collection in Dallas. Steele recently added party services to his movie memorabilia shop to provide an alternative for mothers – and kids – who are bored with the usual cake and ice cream routine. Each party he plans includes a full-length film, from Disney cartoons to The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. He then carries out that theme based on the movie in the invitations, decorations, favors, food, staff costumes and games.
One of his favorites is the Treasure Island party in which all the guests come attired as pirates and islanders. He transforms the birthday party site into an island, complete with foliage, scenery and a boat “offshore.” “I’ll even throw sand on the floor to add authenticity,” says Steele.
The children watch the two-hour film, Treasure Island, and then partake of lavish pirate goodies, usually chicken or finger sandwiches, and punch. For dessert there’s a birthday cake shaped like a boat with pirates and a plank to walk. The waiters dress as pirates and the children’s napkins are treasure maps which assist them in locating their “treasure” or party favors, small chests filled with chocolate-centered gold coins, jewelry, pocket games and assorted trinkets. The staff remain afterward to return your home to normal.
The fare for this island voyage is about $500, depending on the number of children. Steele will also rent the films separately, complete with projector and projectionist, for $100. The Movie Collection is at 2603 Routh, 651-0282.
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