AVP
05-01-2004, 09:44 AM
If you have been at one of the Disneyland Resort hotels or walked Downtown Disney over the last few days, you've probably noticed a heck of a lot of balloons around the place. The 20th annual International Balloon Arts Convention (IBAC) is underway at the Disneyland Hotel this week.
The convention is an industry education event, and balloon artists and event decorators come from around the world to take classes and compete in various categories - delivery bouquets, centerpieces, small sculpture, large sculpture and entertaining. I attended IBAC for 5 years for my previous business, and it's been a lot of fun for me to get to see my friends and former colleagues again since they conveniently brought the convention to my back yard.
The convention opens to the public during the Festival of Balloons this coming Sunday. Festival is open from 10 - 2. Admission is $5 for 13 and older, 12 and under are free. You'll get to tour the competition room and see all of the entries, plus there are balloon entertainers around to watch. I got a sneak peek at the sculptures yesterday. There are fewer than I remember from past years, but there are some really nice ones - one is a 16' tall Yoda.
So, if you happen to be in the resort Sunday and have the kids in tow, check out the Festival. This is the first time the convention has been held in Southern California, and it probably won't be back for another 20 years.
AVP
The convention is an industry education event, and balloon artists and event decorators come from around the world to take classes and compete in various categories - delivery bouquets, centerpieces, small sculpture, large sculpture and entertaining. I attended IBAC for 5 years for my previous business, and it's been a lot of fun for me to get to see my friends and former colleagues again since they conveniently brought the convention to my back yard.
The convention opens to the public during the Festival of Balloons this coming Sunday. Festival is open from 10 - 2. Admission is $5 for 13 and older, 12 and under are free. You'll get to tour the competition room and see all of the entries, plus there are balloon entertainers around to watch. I got a sneak peek at the sculptures yesterday. There are fewer than I remember from past years, but there are some really nice ones - one is a 16' tall Yoda.
So, if you happen to be in the resort Sunday and have the kids in tow, check out the Festival. This is the first time the convention has been held in Southern California, and it probably won't be back for another 20 years.
AVP