Cake, ice cream, balloons, and bounce houses. Birthday parties are supposed to be full of fun and frivolity. But at some point, most adults forget that. We find ourselves celebrating birthdays at wine bars or with civilized brunches, and although those gatherings are delightful in their own way, who says you can’t have a birthday party that would make the fifth-grader in you cheer?
From whimsical hors d’oeuvre and mobile ice cream parlors to a fortune teller in a bright red turban and a band that brings the concert to you, Fort Worth has some fantastic party vendors just waiting to give you the birthday blowout of your dreams.
360 Catering & Events
Coconut lobster pops, whipped potato “martinis,” and a sundae bar are just a few of the playful options from 360 Catering & Events. They’ll bring the food and the bar to you — for parties from 20 to 2,000-plus — with TABC-certified bartenders well-versed in the latest cocktail favorites. The company partners with various venues around Dallas-Fort Worth and will travel across North Texas to private locations, including your home.
An Occasion Station
A birthday party without balloons just isn’t complete, and with An Occasion Station, said balloons are anything but ordinary. Want a balloon sculpture of an octopus or giraffe? Done. How about a balloon archway leading into your party? They can do that too. The company is staffed with QBN Certified Balloon Artists — it sounds silly, but it requires a rigorous certification program — and has been creating balloon decor for parties, weddings, and other celebrations for more than 25 years.
Bounce & Slide Texas
Who says kids get to have all the fun? Just because we’re grown-ups doesn’t mean we can't party like we’re 13. Bounce and Slide Texas offers a variety of bounce houses, water slides, and even tables and chairs for parties. Its service area includes greater Tarrant County, and you can even rent a dunk tank for wacky games, a snow-cone machine, and various other food machines, depending on your preferences. Just think how delighted your guests would be to find a bounce castle and a cotton-candy machine in your backyard. Talk about the perfect excuse to lighten up and play like a kid again.
Gypsy Scoops
Specializing in the mobile ice cream parlor experience, Gypsy Scoops shows up to your party and serves 12 hand-dipped flavors of homemade ice cream right from its ice cream truck. Flavors are seasonal, but some favorites include red velvet and banana pudding. Or try Wookiee’s Cookies, a cinnamon-based ice cream with oatmeal cookie pieces and chunks of chocolate, or the vanilla-based Gypsy Bride, with bits of wedding cake and chocolate chips. Swing by the permanent parlor on Race Street to sample the flavors before you book a truck for your party.
Laura E. West, Fortune Teller
If quirky entertainment is must-have, look no further than Laura E. West, fortune teller and certified lipsologist. What is a lipsologist, you ask? A reader who examines your lip print to see what your smooch says about you. For the adventurous party host, West offers palmistry, tea leaf and crystal ball readings, and tarot sessions. Her philosophy is to keep things positive and fun while professional, so there won’t be any downer readings to spoil the mood. Her clients include Hotel ZaZa, the Park Cities Club, and other spots around Dallas-Fort Worth, but she’ll happily come to your event, as long as it’s somewhere in North Texas.
The Jam Wows
There are party bands, and then there are productions that bring the dance club to you. The Jam Wows falls in the latter category, with more than 60 lights that coordinate with the songs to transform even a modest venue into an upscale dance club environment. The band’s seemingly unending song list keeps the beats rolling for hours, and musicians actively encourage partiers to get out on the floor and bust a move.
Even grown-ups want to feel like a kid again on their birthdays.
