Category Archives: events

Face Painting Party

Yes, Northern Virginia Balloon Twisting also does face painting. When you invite Mike to your party, he can offer balloons, face painting, or both, provided there is enough time available. Here are some pictures from a recent face painting party… it seems that skeletons were a popular choice at this party.

Boy with his face painted with a bat in honor of his team, the Bats

Girl with her face painted like an orange tiger

Boy with his face painted like the Green Hulk

Boy with his face painted like a skull/skeleton

Boy with his face painted like a blue dragon.

Second boy with his face painted like a skull/skeleton

The third boy with his face painted with a skull

The 4th and final boy with his face painted like a skeleton.

The four boys with their faces painted with skeletons.

Two of the boys with their faces painted with skulls.

Cosplay

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Cosplay is short for “costume play”. It is a performance art or hobby in which participants dress up in costumes and accessories to represent a character from a comic book, video game, movie, or other source. A popular place to go out in a cosplay costume is to go to a fan convention. Multiple conventions dedicated to anime and manga, comics, TV shows, video games, science fiction and fantasy may be found all around the world.

I had been into Halloween and costumes before becoming a clown. It only seems natural that I would eventually get into cosplay. In April, I attended my first comic book convention, Awesome Con at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. It was more or less a last minute decision.

Welcome to Awesome Con banner at the entrance to the convention center.

I had the weekend free and spent a few days brainstorming what costume I should wear. I have a few costumes that I used for Halloween in the past, but none of the characters were really based on a comic book character. I searched the Internet for inspiration and decided to go as Beast Boy from the Teen Titans. It was something I thought I could pull together in a few days. Most of the images I saw of Beast Boy show him with green skin, pointed ears, and wearing purple and black.

Showing off my pointed ears for Beast Boy from the Teen Titans

Beast Boy from the Teen Titans

Me dressed as Beast Boy from the Teen Titans in front of a colorful wall at the convention center.

A few people recognized that I was going for Beast Boy. A few people guessed that I was going for the Green Goblin, on of the supervillains from Spider-Man. Others guessed an Orc from the World of Warcraft.

All Saints Catholic Church Spring Festival

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On Saturday, May 3rd, 2014, Mike did face painting in Manassas, VA, at the All Saints Catholic Church’s Spring Festival. This was Mike’s 4th or 5th time at the Festival. Based on the smiles on these kids faces, Mike’s booth was very popular.

Face Painting at the All Saints Spring Festival

Face Painting By Mike was at the All Saints Catholic Church Spring Festival on Saturday, May 3rd, 2014.

Wizard of Oz

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I recently had the chance to help the newly formed Drama Club at Saint Timothy Catholic School with the makeup for the performance of Wizard of Oz. I arrived at the school about two hours before the show, setup a makeup station, and did the makeup for the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Wicked Witch. Normally, I use face paints, but since it was a performance, I used theatrical greasepaint. I didn’t have the chance to do a dress rehearsal, so this was my first time doing makeup for the kids.

Wizard of Oz Students and Advisors

Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz

Scarecrow for the Wizard of Oz

Tin Man for the Wizard of Oz

Wicked Witch for the Wizard of Oz

Wizard of Oz Lead Characters

St Baldrick’s at O’Faolain’s

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On Saturday, March 1st, 2014, Balloons By Mike will be at O’Faolain’s Irish Restaurant and Pub in Sterling with balloons and face painting and taking donations in support of the St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser. Mike has been an active supporter of St. Baldrick’s for many years. St. Baldrick’s was established to help conquer childhood cancer.

St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser
Saturday, March 1st, 2014
Noon – 3:00pm (or later)
O’Faolain’s Irish Restaurant and Pub
20921 Davenport Drive
Sterling, Virginia 20165

Balloons By Mike setup for balloons and face painting at a St. Baldrick’s Event

Empty chairs at the start of a St. Baldrick’s event

Merry Christmas

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Merry Christmas from Northern Virginia Balloon Twisting entertainers Balloons By Mike and Sir Toony Van Dukes.

Holiday Circus

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Sir Toony’s friends are spending the Christmas Holiday season in New York putting on the Holiday Circus at the Master Theater (formerly the Millennium Theater) in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, NY. They invited him to come to New York to be a guest clown and help entertain the kids before and after the show.

Sir Toony spent the weekend of Saturday, December 21st in New York and was there for three shows.

Emceeing the show as a jolly Santa is clown Joe Barney, a veteran of Ringling Brothers and the Big Apple Circus. Bringing “her” hilarious antics for the first time to Holiday Circus is the mischievous, but loveable clown, “Grandma,” as portrayed by the accomplished performer Mark Gindick. World-class illusionist Brad Ross, who was named “Best International Family Entertainer” by the International Magic Society, is ready to amaze audiences.

Sir Toony at the Holiday Circus with Pelukyta, Wiggy, Brad Ross, and Santa

Sir Toony at the Holiday Circus with Pelukyta, Santa, Jozo, and Brad Ross

Sir Toony with his friends Wiggy and Pelukyta at the Holiday Circus.

Clowns at the Holiday Circus with Grandma and Santa

Clowns with Santa during the Holiday Circus performance

Clowns in the Holiday Circus performance

Reston Town Center Holiday Parade

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On Friday, November 29th, 2013, Sir Toony Van Dukes joined a few of his friends from Just Clowning Around of Northern Virginia to participate in the Reston Holiday Parade at the Reston Town Center.

For the parade, Mike created a new prop, two giant Christmas cookies, one with a giant bite taken out of it. He went down the parade route telling everyone how much he likes to eat Christmas Cookies.

Sir Toony Van Dukes before the parade

Sir Toony Van Dukes takes a bite out of his giant Christmas Cookie

Sir Toony Van Dukes getting ready for the parade

Members of Just Clowning Around of Northern Virginia (JCA) at the parade

Halloween 2013

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Mike as an Alien in a Space Rocket for Halloween 2013

Happy Halloween!
On Saturday, October 26, 2013, Mike participated in the South Riding Halloween Spooktacular and dressed up as an alien in a rocket ship. The mask and headpiece were custom latex prosthetics that Mike painted himself. The costume was sewn by Mike along the rocket shiphip which was made with more than 50 balloons.

October 5th and 6th

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Mike will be out working on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, October 5th, Mike will be face painting at the South Riding Fall Fest from noon until 6:00pm. The event is at the South Riding Center at 42420 Unicorn Drive. Joining Mike at the event face painting will be his friend Melanie and doing balloons will be his friend Sharone.

Enjoy live music all day from Bach to Rock, The Doyle Brothers and Hey Monea! Fill up on delicious food at the 4 participating Food Trucks: Bratwurst King, Crepe Love, Kababji Grill, and DC Sliders. The kids can enjoy FREE hayrides, face painting, balloon animals, Hypnotic Experience Entertainment Show (4-6pm) and a moon bounce!

Face Painting By Mike at a festival

South Riding Fall Fest
Face Painting By Mike
Saturday, October 5th, 2013
12:00 noon until 6:00pm
South Riding Center
42420 Unicorn Drive
South Riding, VA

But, wait, there is more…

You can also see Mike on Sunday…

On Sunday, October 6th, Balloons By Mike will be at the Ashburn Fire and Rescue Fall Open House at Station 22 from noon to 3:45pm making balloons.

They will have their Touch-a-Truck event where attendees will be allowed to view, climb on, and pretend to be fire fighters on a variety of firefighting and EMS vehicles, including an Army Humvee, a 5-ton Army truck, a foam truck, and a host of other station and county fire fighting vehicles. A variety of other fun activities are also being planned for the kids.

Variety of balloons created by Balloons By Mike

Ashburn Fire and Rescue Fall Open House
Balloons By Mike
Sunday, October 6th, 2013
12:00 Noon to 3:45 pm
Ashburn Fire Station 22
19485 Sandridge Way,
Lansdowne, VA