Jubilee Balloons: Balloon Artist at Work

In the spring of 2015, I had the pleasure of meeting a fabulous woman that does amazing things with balloons! She can turn an ordinary balloon into a spectacular creation. Cartoon characters, flowers, jungle animals, and so much more! She has been a long-time sponsor of Macaroni Kid and will be providing the winning school a Balloon Show Assembly where she'll have volunteers come up and help her make her creations! So fun! This is TJ's 4th year being a sponsor of our Gold Daisy School Contest. Thank you so much!! Meet Jubilee Balloons!

My name is TJ Belt and I started my chosen profession late (I was 35.) I needed a change from working in office jobs. I had always wanted to run away with the circus, so I decided to become a clown!

I joined a local clown alley, yes they exist, and started my journey. I learned all I could about costume, makeup, etc and then they said I needed to learn a skill I could use to entertain at birthday parties. My choices were face painting, balloon twisting, magic, and juggling. I tried magic in the past and it wasn't an interest. I don't do slight of hand well. I never juggled, so I decided to try balloons and face painting. I was OK at both of these mediums, but I wasn't great. I wanted to be the best at whatever I did. So, I put the face painting on hold. It's been holding for 17 years!

Balloon twisting has become more than a profession. It's my passion. Once I realized that I had a knack for taking a few balloons and making just about anything out of them, I was hooked. I now make hats, animals, bracelets, flowers, vehicles, and much, much more! My family is extremely supportive and help me every step of the way. My wife and daughter come to events like the Pittston Tomato Festival. They help the kids pick what color they want and generally make it more fun for everyone.

At the St. Patrick's Day parade in Pittston, I wore a car costume I had made!