7 best birthday party entertainers in Calgary

1. TriXtan Entertainment Bring some magic, circus fun, balloon delight and so much more to your child’s birthday party. Ton of Fun is their most popular package, which consists of a children’s magic show—best for kids ages five to nine—and balloon sculptures that all the tiny guests get to keep. This package costs $280 for up to 15 kids. You can also book the magic show alone for $200 for the same number of little ones. If hanging under the Big Top is more your child’s style, the Kids Circus Workshop, which is for kids ages five and older, lets guests learn circus skills like juggling, spinning plates and circus hooping. TriXtan supplies the props and brings music to create a circus-like atmosphere. The cost is $220 for one hour (though the rate goes down if you book multiple hours).

Start planning: 403-809-5735 trixtan.com>

2. Kitchen Kids Food, fun and a tiny bit of competition are on the menu at a Kitchen Kids party, which can be hosted in your home, outdoors or in a community centre. Founder Rachel Fugate came up with the idea of a kid-friendly food competition for her daughter’s ninth birthday, and now hosts these parties for Calgary families. Guests can make pasta salad, Panini, crepes, smoothies and sundaes—delish! And everyone leaves with newfound confidence in the kitchen. Parents provide the food, but Kitchen Kids brings all of the plates, utensils, spices, oils or anything else required to make the delectable dish. They also bring a prize for the tiny chef who makes the best meal of the party! The cost is $250 for eight participants, and cooking-themed loot bags, with items like measuring spoons, cutting boards and recipe cards, start at $8 per bag.

Start planning: 403-651-0551 kitchenkids.biz>

3. Fairy Tale Princess Party Make your child’s fantasy a reality with a character from Fairy Tale Princess Party. Princesses like the Ice Queen or the Mermaid Princess, will come to your home, entertain the children with stories, dancing and games, and, with some packages, do face painting or balloon twisting. Wishes do come true! Aside from princesses, there are other awesome characters available, including pirates, superheroes and monster girls. Prices start at $180 for a one-hour character package for up to 12 children.

Start planning: 403-730-6345 fairytaleprincessparty.com>

4. Bricks4kidz One way to make sure a birthday party is a success is to keep little hands busy. Bricks4Kidz has two fun birthday party packages available to entertain your kid and her builder buddies. The Deluxe Package, which starts at $225 for up to 10 participants, includes a host, creative-play time with a tub of Lego bricks, a motorized Lego model build that’s targeted to your child’s age, plus games. The Premiere Package includes all of the same, plus a zipline build and each child gets to make a mini-figure that they get to keep. That package starts at $290 for up to 10 guests.

Start planning: 403-457-5530 1428 19th Avenue NW bricks4kidz.com>

5. Butterfield Acres If your child is among the legions of little ones who love ponies, then you’ll definitely want to book Butterfield Acres’ Birthday Pony Rides package. For $239, you get one hour with a pony, saddle included, and staff to lead little equestrians on short rides. Or, for the same price, The My Little Pony package lets your kid (age six and older) spend an hour grooming and taking pictures with a pony alongside up to five of her friends. You can also book eight bunnies to come over to cuddle, or select the Mini Farm option, which includes two goats, two lambs and four bunnies for an extra cute time. The cost for the 8 Bunny Mini or the Mini Farm is $239.

Start planning: 403-239-0638 254077 Rocky Ridge Road butterfieldacres.com/cometoyou>

6. Feel Fabulous Mobile Spa Pamper your child and her birthday guests with luxurious just-for-kids spa treatments. There are options like the Royal Treatment, which consists of a mini-manicure and pedicure with nail art, an organic facial, a hair-do and light makeup for $60 per guest. Or try Polished to Perfection, which offers a mini-manicure and pedicure with nail art for $35 per child. If you want to make things a little fancier, you can book the Princess Party Package, which is an add-on to any of the other options that includes a tiara to take home, a princess wand craft, and sparkly eye glitter and lip gloss for an additional $7 per guest. They also have other services, like glitter tattoos of bugs, skulls and more for $5 per tattoo. And if you have a colourful little one, opt for the Radioactive Hair Package for $10 per kid, where they'll get a little temporary colour added to their locks.

Start planning: 403-401-4898 feelfabulous.ca>

7. Lucie Brouillard Award-winning body paint artist Lucie Brouillard offers fantastical face painting for many events, including kids’ birthday parties. She uses water-based paints and can typically paint eight to 15 kids in an hour. Her rate runs between $125 to $150 per hour. Lucie also offers jewelry-making parties for kids ages six and older, where she brings all of the materials so kids can create their own necklaces, bracelets or earrings. Prices start at $20 per person and go up depending on the type of beads used.

Start planning: 403-807-7943 luciebrouillard.com>
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