Starting with communication, James was very on point! Very quick to respond even though I was emailing him around his vacation, which I very much appreciate! Booking was easy and once done, I didn't think about it again until he showed up at the party! He (and Jess for face painting) came out to my daughters fairly small 2nd birthday party. He was immediately on to it and since we had so few kids, they were all able to stay occupied a few times over during the hour. He even made a very convincing garbage truck that my daughter loves, and even a week later with frequent play is still holding up pretty well (only one small part has popped). I was worried that because he was not dressed up, that the kids might get shy, but he was so personable and friendly, everyone enjoyed interacting with him. Jess was great too, even when painting on a very nervous toddler. They were both so friendly and talented, I'd definitely love to have them both at another party soon! read more

The Amazing James - My 2 year old loved her garbage truck! - Party & Event Planning Near Me

We had Sean at my son's birthday and he was amazing! Super friendly, really wonderful with the kids and made some of the best balloon art I've ever seen! All the kids had some crazy demands but Sean didn't seem at all bothered by that and would magically make their balloon dreams come true! Highly recommend! It was worth every penny! read more

James was a huge hit at the party I threw for my girls turning 5 & 6. The bounce house was hardly used at all the entire time James was over. The kids just couldn't get enough! James made Iron Man, Spiderman, Ninja Turtle heads, Giant rainbows and Hello Kitty's to name a few. I'd recommend him in a heartbeat. Thanks again James for all the fun! :) read more

The Amazing James - Party & Event Planning Near Me

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We were visiting San Francisco on vacation and decided to eat at the Rainforest Cafe with our two kids. We met James as he went from table to table making balloons. James is NOT your typical restaurant "balloon guy" who has a repertoire of about 6 animals. As his company name implies, James entertains. He is funny, professional, great with both kids and adults, and can make just about anything with balloons. My younger son asked for a lizard. No problem. My next son (the quirkier of the two) asked for piano. What? Come on, animals, not instruments. James actually said he could make one, but needed the entire day. My son's next choice was a platypus, which James had no problem making. Anyone who can make a balloon platypus has got some crazy skills. He then watched my kids perform a card trick for him and he returned the favor by teaching them a card trick. If we lived in the area, we would hire James in a heartbeat. read more

This guy is awesome!! I scheduled him for my sons 3rd birthday party and him and his wife arrived right on time. Both were absolutely wonderful to deal with; very pleasant to everyone and especially patient with the children, as they were heckling them constantly for more balloons and more face painting. I loved the fact he can make a Barack Obama too! James is very creative and made us some really cute, funny hats and all types of animals for the kids. His wife's art skills on skin was impressive. I would recommend them for anyone; not just for kids:). He and his wife were a hit among all!! Great party fun! No cons here, absolutely none. Worth every penny spent:) read more

James is amazing. Our 2 year old's birthday party was a hit because of him. He kept kids of all ages captivated. He handled all types of requests. He was extremely patient with the over zealous adults too! This was a great idea for a winter bday! read more

I ordered a big and beautiful Valentine's bouquet from James and had it shipped all the way to NY as an early surprise for my girlfriend about a week ago. The balloon flowers came carefully packaged shipped next day air. The package came with instructions for unpacking the balloons and James even packed a couple extra balloon flowers in case any parts of them popped in shipping. One flower did loose a petal, but after cutting out the deflated piece of balloon, you really couldn't tell. Besides, there were two extra flowers to make up for it! My girlfriend loved the balloons - she thought they were a very unique Valentine's Day gift! Best of all, it's been over a week since I gave them to her, and they look as good as the day she got them! I bet they'll last longer than real cut flowers at this point! read more

James was awesome at our company picnic. We had balloon creations and face painting. Very friendly, easy to work with and professional. Highly recommend him and his entertainers for your event. read more

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We hosted a backyard birthday party, with the Amazing James as the special guest. James and his Amazing Associate Jessica arrived five minutes ahead of schedule, and promptly set up for an hour long balloon and face-painting extravaganza. Now, I knew James' reputation and I wasn't going to let him get away with whipping out a few swords and daisies and calling it a day. Soon the kids caught wind of his mastery and were asking for, and getting, motorcycles with riders, bows and arrows, fairies with translucent wings, dragons, and all kinds of creatures. While they waited the kids had their faces painted but mostly they just watched James in awe! "He's magic!", my daughter whispered. "This is the best birthday ever!" James is fantastic and the adults were in awe as well (and probably at least a little envious of the kids!). He has a natural and genuine ease with the kids. read more

The Amazing James worked my wedding and was a show stopper. The guests loved his beautiful artistic balloon hats and his charming humor was icing on the cake. Makes me wish I married him and not the bride. If you like to smile, you should probably hire this man. read more

I will add to the praises! I agree with the previous reviews. We booked James and Jessica for our daughter's 4th birthday party based on the Yelp reviews. There were almost 20 kids, from toddler to 9 years old. They were all engaged by James' talent with the balloon art and Jessica's face painting skills. James could make anything from a helicopter to a parrot sitting on a child's shoulder. We enjoyed that it's interactive, it's fun to watch, and it leaves you free to mingle with the guests. My daughter said she wants the same "balloon twisty guy and face painty lady" at her next birthday party so there you have it! An emphatic recommendation from us and from our daughter. read more

JAMES! James came to my daughters 2 year old Birthday Party and he was a huge hit. From the moment he walked in the room, until the moment he left, he was ON Fire. There were about 10 kids here ages 2-5 and they all loved him. He is very cleaver with his ballooning as well ( he can make a motorcycle out of a balloon!). He was great- and everyone loved him. I would highly recommend him for your party! 2 weeks later and my kids are still playing with the balloons. Rad. read more

I used the Amazing James at my daughter's first birthday party today. He was a huge hit! There were kids ranging in ages 1 to 12, they all loved their balloons. The adults were also thrilled, they were very happy with James' creations. He was very easy to work with, on time, and very professional. I am very happy we hired him. read more

JAMES ENTERTAINS is AWESOME ! After searching for an entertainer for my son's 2nd birthday party I was so fortunate to find James Entertains on Craigslist. We had our party at a park and the kids were running around everywhere until James showed up. He had all the kids, (age 6 months - 5yrs) captivated while doing his thing with balloons and the children and parents all LOVED him! As a parent, it was a sigh of relief to find someone so professional who really enjoys what he does and really connected with the kids. All of my friends at the party took one of his business cards for their future parties and I look forward to using him again next year. I cannot say enough about how happy we were with James and you will not be disappointed. read more

We hired James and a Face Painter for our daugther's 4th birthday. They did a great job entertaining and keeping the kids engaged and happy. His creations were great and everyone had a good time! Thanks James- you are awesome to work with! read more

James and Jess were truly amazing. Every parent at the party took their business card. I highly recommend the package that includes the facepainting with the ballooning.They were a blaze of activity for 90 minutes. And even with long lines of excited kids they kept things organized and there were no meltdowns. Jess and James struck the perfect balance of professional and fun. Also the balloons James made had the adults amazed too. And the facepainting went way beyond our expectations. We'd do it again in a second. And the price was well worth it. read more

I literally just had Amazing James at my house for my daughter's birthday. Kids and adults alike LOVED him. He was creative not to mention professional and responsive. Our party was a fundraiser and Amazing James gave it his best! I HIGHLY recommend his services! If there were 10 stars to give, I would gladly give it! read more

James was FANTASTIC! I booked him for my daughter's 1st birthday this past weekend at the Harrison Center in Alameda and we could not be more pleased with how wonderful and patient he was with all the kids at the party. We had ALOT of kids. The children and adults alike thought he was amazing and many of them asked me where I found him. My daughter's theme was ladybug and he made the most adorable hat with 3 flowers and a lovely little ladybug on it - it was awesome (I wanted to wear it). He made a Lightning McQueen car for my 3-year old son who was absolutely thrilled. I would book him again in a heart beat and recommend him to anyone looking for an awesome balloon twister. read more

My wife hired James for our three year old sons Bday after dong some on line research and we quickly discovered why he is called Amazing James. The kids and parents alike were captivated and drawn to the backyard to watch him create his masterpieces. He was very personable and fun and satisfied every request. Our sons party theme was Lightning McQueen and James made a great ballon version for him as well as an incredible Elmo, Cookie Monster and helicopter among other things. Many of our friend grabbed his biz cards for future reference. We highly recommend him! read more

James is simply AWESOME!!!!! I recently booked James last minute for my twins birthday party after being burnt by another entertainer unexpectedly. He is very Professional and requires just a $20 deposit to secure your event.. He gets back in touch with you promptly, and is very friendly and honest. So honest that PayPal sent my deposit twice and I wasn't even aware, he returned it immediately. He's also very courteous, he asked me beforehand if he could bring a young guest that he's mentoring showing him how to run a business. The day of my event he arrived early, he was very pleasant and VERY GOOD with the kids. Even when he was surrounded and bombarded by a group of kids he was able to keep his composure. He was also very engaging and interactive, He moved very quickly and was a hit! I would DEFINITELY Recommend James and book him for future events!!! he really came through for me and I cannot thank him enough!!!!! read more

The Amazing James - James and One guest of honor Maliyah - Party & Event Planning Near Me

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James was booked to create balloon sculptures at our holiday party along with Jessica (?) the face painter. He was very responsive to emails and very easy to work with. At the holiday party, he was great. He worked well with the children and the adults. Once the children had their fill with the balloons, he went around to all of the tables and showed people how to make balloon sculptures. I appreciated the effort he put in to engage everyone, including the adults. Jessica was also great. read more

I hired James for my daughter's 3rd birthday party, and I'm so glad I did. We live in an apartment, so to have a bunch of kids, many of them boys, in a small place without a backyard to roam, we definitely needed someone to help them expend their energy in a good way. James came and did an excellent job of holding their attention for 1.5 hours. All the adult party guests were greatly entertained by him too, and people had gone back to ask me for his contact information afterward. Highly recommended. read more

This guy is truly amazing! We hired him for our store event at the last minute and he came through without any issues. Booking was simple. He is responsive and our transaction was done through two phone calls. Two days later he showed up to our event and setup the balloon arches that we needed on time. No headaches, just great all around service. No doubt will hire him again for all our future store events. read more

I can't say enough good things about James Entertains!!! James made my daughter's 8th birthday so special yesterday. He has a wonderful way of relating to children, making them laugh and making them comfortable; he is kind, gentle, and funny. From the beginning of our party he had a crowd of smiling faces gathered around him, patiently waiting their turn. The repertoire of things he can create is vast--and adaptable! I mentioned to him casually that my daughter's favorite show is My Little Pony, and although James had never made a balloon MLP, on the spot he created a Pinkie Pie for my daughter (after looking at a few examples on his cell phone). This truly made my daughter's day. Whatever kids asked for, James made it, and invariably left them with huge smiles on their faces. Throughout our party, other parents approached me to compliment James and to ask for his contact information. One parent said he was the best balloon artist she's ever seen. I felt very lucky to have him at our party. I would recommend him most highly. read more

The Amazing James - The amazing James improvises an amazing Pinkie Pie balloon creation!!!! Special request of my daughter on her 8th birthday. - Party & Event Planning Near Me

Great guy! Great entertainment for the kids. Very interactive and makes them use their imaginations ! Perfect for 3-4 year olds. Makes special shapes by request for each kid- that make perfect going home presents/favors. read more

Two words. Lightning McQueen. James made one out of balloons at my son's 3rd birthday party and he loved it! He made lizards, butterflies, rocket ships, and silly hats, too. The kids really enjoyed it, and so did the parents. He was also on time (early in fact), professional, and so easy to book him online. Highly recommend! read more

We hired James for my son's 2nd birthday party after I found him on Yelp. He was fantastic with his creations and engaged both the kids and adults. The party was casual and he easily mingled through the guests amazing people with his designs - cows, elaborate caterpillars, monkeys, etc. Lot's of friends asked for his card so hopefully we'll see him at another event soon. read more

James definitely does entertain and is amazing!!! We recently hired him for our twin boys 4'th birthday. I highly recommend him. First of all he is a very nice person and the kind of person you would want to spend time around your children and guests. He is a great role model as well as entertaining and fun. He is very good and patient with all ages of children, from 12 months to 12 year olds and the adults. Funny, creative and caring. We had some kids and adults who tried to stump him with some crazy requests...a dinosaur, a school bus and a soccer player. His creations were imaginative and joyful. The children were still talking about the party and the balloon man at school the next day. He is responsive and easy to communicate with. His rates are very reasonable. I whole heartedly recommend him and am looking forward to having him at our next event. Thank you James! read more

James was terrific! His balloon creations were fantastic and both the kids and adults loved watching him do his thing. Would highly recommend him for children's parties or any event where little ones need some entertaining. read more

We hired James based on Yelp reviews for my adults-only 40th birthday party and he did not disappoint! This was a late evening entertainment thing and he made all sorts of hilarious hats for people - some appropriate, some more scandalous and funny, and made a splash for being a different sort of entertainment for grown ups. highly recommend! read more

I would definitely recommend James Entertains for party entertainment. We hired him for our son's 4th birthday party and all the kids, as well as the adults, were clearly impressed with him. He was playful with all the children and was very courteous to everyone. read more

We had James for my son's 3rd birthday party. James is absolutely great! Having him there was something different (instead of the usual jumpy castle or fairy princess) that the parents appreciated as much as the kids. The kids loved it, and the best part is they all had something fun to take home. James is a real artist with balloons, so it is especially fun to see what he creates when people think to ask him for non-typical balloon things. I would highly recommend James for any event. read more

I first saw James a year ago at my niece's 2-year old birthday party. He wow'ed us back then with his incredible skills. Anything a kid asked for, he could make: dolphin, motorcycle, ninja swords, car, mug of root beer, bow and arrow, etc. He was also super-friendly and nice - all the kids loved him and were entertained by his balloon art. I booked him recently for my husband's 40th birthday party to keep our friends' kids entertained. His website was clear and easy to use. I sent him a request through his website to book a time, and he responded quickly that he was available (yay!). He arrived at the party on time, was friendly and easygoing, and did a great job keeping the kids entertained. I recommend him highly. read more

This is our second time having this company do our son's birthday. This time around James couldn't attend but had his standby, Sean, come to the party. I was very pleased at Sean's level of skill and friendliness to all my guests. Jess also did a wonderful job painting all the kid's faces. Imagination was not in short supply. I would recommend Amazing James to anyone looking for a fantastic balloon artist company. read more

James provided balloon animals for a 6-year-old girl's birthday party. The kids ranged in age from 3 to 8, which concerned me, but there was no need for concern. They LOVED James! I loved James! He arrived a few minutes early, which I appreciated, and engaged beautifully with the children. He created some amazing balloons sculptures and entertained the parents as well as the kids. He's talented, professional, and really knows his stuff. Definitely a great find. read more

James was great. I hired him for my son's 6th birthday party and he was incredibly patient and great with the kids. He gave thought to the theme of the party beforehand, and he kept the kids happy the whole time while they waited for their balloons. They were all so engaged while watching him do his thing. I couldn't believe it! I would definitely recommend James! read more

Amazing James was such a huge hit at my 3 yo daughter's recent birthday party and he has definitely earned his name - James is truly amazing! He patiently fielded requests from all the kids and kept outdoing himself over the course of 1.5 hours. We were impressed with the balloon elephant, panda, unicorn... but then he starting making even more intricate creations like a fire truck (complete with a ladder!) and a dragon (breathing fire!). The kids were entertained, the parents were impressed - what more can you ask for? Seriously, I don't think a single minute went by without someone saying, "OMG, that's amazing..." and he completely exceeded my expectations. Loved that it was also very easy to make an appointment - I used the online booking system on his website and James responded via email to confirm within 24 hours. He was punctual, professional, great with the kids, and even brought a present for my birthday girl. How thoughtful is that?! Oh, and for any other folks out there who are really creeped out by clowns like I am, I really appreciated that he was dressed normally and let his talent speak for itself - no gimmicks. read more

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The Amazing James was perfect for out 3 year olds birthday party: solved the entertainment and party-favor project in one fell swoop!

We threw a beach theme party for our son's 1st birthday party. We asked James to come and entertain the group...mainly adults and a few little kids. He was a hit. He came and started creating sea creatures. Octopuses, fishes, sharks, mermaids, etc. He got straight to work decorating and then when the guests started to come he started builing on request...elmos, motorcycles (with kick stand), ladybug hats, turtle wristbands. He's very good and very friendly. We missed him when he had to go. Would hire again. Great to have him 30 minutes prior before guests come to decorate. Very very good balloon artist at a reasonable price. Can't wait for the next event. Thanks, James. See you soon. read more

We hired james to do balloon superheroes. animals, etc for my son's 4th birthday. James was fabulous. As soon as he pulled out his ballon belt the kids gathered around him for the next hour. He took requests from the kids and his creations were great! He also brought a present for the birthday boy. read more