Roll 'em! Party Fiesta's "camera" is ready to catch all of the action!

Everybody is a star…at least one night of the year–Oscars night, that is! The annual event in which Hollywood honors its own can be the night YOU shine as the star of your own Oscars bash! With such an exciting theme for your party, you’ll be able to pull it all off faster than you can say “Hooray for Hollywood”!

By the way, did you know that the Oscar statuette isn’t really gold? It’s composed of britannium (a tin alloy) that is then gold-plated. The little fella stands over a foot tall, weighs 8.5 pounds and is made (at the rate of 50 per year) by a company named R.S. Owens in Illinois!

And did you know that a rule was passed by the Academy in 1950 which stipulates that all Oscar winners (and their heirs) who want to sell their award must first offer it to the Academy for the sum of $1.00 before putting it up for sale on the open market? Just like “The Godfather,” the Academy makes them an offer they can’t refuse: Agree, or the Academy keeps the statuette, not the winner! That’s what’s known as playing Hollywood hardball!

Party Fiesta really knows how to turn your guests into red-carpet royalty!

Luckily, your Oscars party will be a lot more drama-free! Just a few simple (yet sensational!) ideas  can make your event as memorable as Hollywood, itself! To begin, ask your guests to get all gussied up for the event! Everyone feels a little more special when they have a chance to dress up, just like the Hollywood folks do!

When they drive up to your party, a few well-placed (and playful!) “Limo Parking Only” signs will let them know they have ARRIVED! A “Celebrities Only” twist on the yellow “caution” tape stretched strategically around your party place lets your guests know they’re the stars of your event!

And, of course, the red carpet must be rolled out (even if it’s as simple as a red plastic table cover roll!), along with cut-out gold stars to simulate your own Hollywood Walk of Fame, with camera-wielding “paparazzi” shouting out their names! Your party is guaranteed to be a smash even before the guests have walked in the door!

Party Fiesta makes balloon magic with the "movies" theme!

But no Oscars soiree would be complete without that magical touch that only balloons can provide…as only Party Fiesta Balloon Decor can create them! The premier balloon decorators in San Jose, California, the Certified Balloon Artists at Party Fiesta have created some of the most unique and eye-catching designs that look as if they came straight out of Hollywood!

Whether it’s a giant camera  that just screams “Lights! Camera! Action!” or some fanciful “popcorn” treats that look good enough to eat, Party Fiesta works their own brand of movie magic! Drop by their showroom–located at 999 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, CA–or call (408) 292-6000 for the very best balloons at the very best prices! At Party Fiesta Balloon Decor, you truly are a star!

"Popcorn" made out of balloons by Party Fiesta! You can almost taste the butter!

Up, up and away with this sweet teddy bear hot air balloon!

This Valentine’s Day, think outside the box…literally! Why give your loved one the same old heart-shaped box of chocolates when you can put some pizazz in Valentine’s Day with these unusual ideas on how to celebrate the Day of Love?!

* What could be more out-of-this-world romantic than having a star named for your special love?! Chances are very good he or she doesn’t already have a gift like this! So, why not check it out?! http://www.starregistry.com/ If you’ve always said your love is written in the stars, now you can prove it!

Party Fiesta's cute Cupid bouquet!

* Hold a candy scavenger hunt in your house! This one’s especially kid-friendly, too! Hide little sweets and trinkets in strategic spots, leaving cryptic notes to help the hunters along the way! Once all of the goodies have been found, it’ll be time to munch down!

* If you’re lucky enough to live near the water, grab your sweetie (fun for the kiddies, too!) and take a romantic stroll along the beach and vow you won’t go  home until you’ve found a heart-shaped rock or

Party Fiesta's unique gift-in-a-balloon teddy bear says "LOVE"!

seashell!

* Speaking of the water, there’s nothing more romantic than a cozy night spent at an historic lighthouse! You might be surprised to find out how many lighthouses in the United States have been turned into bed-and-breakfast inns or relatively-inexpensive hostels! This will not be your run-of-the-mill night out on the town, guaranteed!

* If you and your loved one have an insatiable sweet tooth, look into some of your local sweet factories to see if they offer free tours! Many do–such as Jelly Belly jelly beans, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and tons of local candy makers across the country!

* Make life sweeter–and greener!–for your own loved one, not to mention generations of future Valentiners, by arranging to have a tree or other greenery planted in your local parks in honor of your significant other or your children! Talk about continuing the circle of life…and love!

* Spread the Valentine love by adopting a shelter pet! Providing a home to an otherwise-unwanted animal will be the biggest gift from your heart! It’s heartbreaking to know how many pets are destroyed each year for lack of a loving home and heart. Just be sure first that the gift of a pet will be an appropriate and welcomed gift!

* Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone with whom to celebrate this magical day of love , and to open our hearts to those in need just might be the best Valentine’s gift of all. Encourage the kids to create some precious handmade valentine cards they can hand-deliver personally to children who are hospital-bound and to seniors in nursing homes whose lives would surely be brightened by such tokens of remembrance and love!

The traditional candy and love cards make a fun statement on Valentine’s Day, as well, and so do the fantastic balloon creations you’ll find only at Party Fiesta Balloon Decor, San Jose, California’s premier balloon decorators! They have a full array of everything you need to make Valentine’s Day extra memorable!

These Valentine balloon flowers from Party Fiesta are sweeter than the real things!

Some people love to gather clusters of red, pink and white latex balloons or bundles of shiny red foil heart balloons, while others go for the gusto with large balloon sculptures, arches, columns and even balloon drops! Party Fiesta Balloon Decor has balloon designs for every taste and every budget. Thanks to the balloon pros at Party Fiesta, you will get exactly what you need at wallet-friendly prices!

Be sure to check out Party Fiesta Balloon Decor for all of your Valentine’s Day needs! Call (408) 292-6000 or drop by their showroom–located at 999 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, CA–to see what kind of balloon magic they can create for you this Valentine’s Day and EVERY day!

A stunning Party Fiesta heart arch stretches beautifully to say "Happy Valentine's Day"!

Party Fiesta's special friend, "Elmo," made a surprise appearance at the Day Worker Center's Christmas party!

Party Fiesta Balloon Decor–San Jose, California’s premier balloon-decorating company–has the biggest heart in the industry, and they prove it every year when they help many of their favorite charities and organizations at Christmastime! This year was no different, as Tony Sellars and Rolando Ibarra–co-owners of Party Fiesta–brought their talents and their compassion to the Day Worker Center in neighboring Mountain View, California!

In addition to designing special balloon decorations to brighten the party room–not to mention brightening the smiles of the children who attended!–they sent a very special friend to welcome the kids and pass out donated Christmas presents…none other than “Sesame Street”‘s very own “Elmo”

“Just seeing how happy the kids were was the best Christmas present ever,” Tony beams. “We think everyone has a right to a happy holiday, especially children who are in need. Party Fiesta was delighted to do our share!”

The Day Worker Center of Mountain View is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving the communities surrounding Mountain View, Los Altos and Sunnyvale. The Center was established in 1996 by leaders from local businesses, churches and the community to provide job-matching services for hundreds of local homeowners and businesses annually.

The Day Worker Center of Mountain View is like a home-away-from-home to those in need!

The Center is led by a full-time Executive Director, María Marroquín, a recipient of numerous awards for her work at the Center. Organizational guidance comes from a Board of Directors composed of community and business leaders and representatives from the day-laborer community. In addition, much of the day-to-day worker-related activities at the Center is managed by the Workers’ Commission, composed of 8-10 current and past users of the Center.

In addition to supporting the day-laborer population, the Center contributes to the community in the following ways:

• Provides a location for service providers, such as Community Services Agency, to reach their clients
• Reaches out to day laborers soliciting work on the streets to inform them about the center’s services
• Provides worker-led community service
• Participates in monthly trash pickup on local streets
• Donates hand-made blankets for premature infants at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford
• Helps coordinate and participate in community events, sponsored by Rotary Club, Run for Zimbabwe, Mountain View Educational Foundation and more
• Hosts a blood drive four times a year
• Helps senior citizens with community gardens
• Provides English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to the workers, facilitating interactions with employers and participation in local culture
• Serves as a critical conduit for the city agencies and services to communicate with the Latino community
• Decreases the number of workers soliciting employment on the streets
• Reduces complaints in the areas where workers congregate, in turn reducing the number of calls to Police Departments
• Reduces strain on local emergency rooms by providing free weekly medical visits by the Gardner Health Services Mobile Medical van

"Elmo" made it a very merry Christmas for the children of day workers!

Visit the Day Worker Center of Mountain View’s website for more very important information!  http://www.dayworkercentermv.org/

Party Fiesta's balloon drops fill the room with midnight magic!

forget the balloons! Balloons add that festive “lift” to every New Year’s celebration, and, to borrow a slogan from Hallmark, balloons tell your friends and family that you care enough to give them the very best! It just wouldn’t be New Year’s Eve without balloons!

Christmas just might prove to be a money pit this year, draining you of your energy and your wallet of its contents. But you might be surprised to discover how affordable balloons are for your holiday events!

Party Fiesta's New Year's mylar/latex bouquets make an elegant statement!

So, instead of just watching the ball drop in Times Square, have your own balloon drop! “The smiles on people’s faces as balloons drop down on them is fun to see,” laughs Tony Sellars, co-owner of Party Fiesta Balloon Decor, the premier balloon decorators in San Jose, California. “Even a small-sized balloon drop covers a lot of territory in a party room, making a huge statement. 

“Party Fiesta offers balloon drops for New Year’s Eve in three sizes, depending on your particular needs and budget,” Tony continues. ”Even if a balloon drop is the only decor you choose for your New Year’s Eve event, your money will be well spent. Nothing says ‘New Year’s’ like a balloon drop!”

And speaking of the famous ball that drops in Times Square, did you know the very first ball-dropping event there occurred in 1907? It has been a must-see on New Year’s Eve ever since–except for 1942 and 1943, when New York City was restricted from dropping the ball due to, as you might have guessed, World War II. Fron 1981-1988, an “apple” was dropped in honor of New York City’s famed nickname, The Big Apple! Nowadays, the “ball” that drops is a Waterford crystal gem, measuring 12-feet in diameter and weighing a whopping 11,875 pounds!

Make the New Year shiny and bright with Party Fiesta's sophisticated centerpieces!

More New Year’s Eve Fun Facts!

* New Year’s Eve is the busiest day of the year at both Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland in California!

* It was once believed that if the first visitor on New Year’s Day is a tall, dark-haired man, you will be blessed with good luck all year! (Women of the world, you may breathe a sigh of relief!)

* Making New Year’s resolutions dates back to the time of the ancient Babylonians (2000 BC), who started off every new year by vowing to return their neighbors’ farm equipment, and to the ancient Romans, who wished to purge themselves of their excesses and indulgences!

* The #1 resolution made by Americans is…to lose weight!

* In ancient times, the New Year was welcomed by the sound of noisemakers intended to scare away evil spirits!

* There were several New Year’s Eve good-luck superstitions of old: Eating back-eyed peas on the last night of the year; eating 12 grapes to guarantee good fortune every month of the new year; wearing something new and red to bring prosperity; and choosing wisely upon whom to bestow that special kiss at midnight to find everlasting love!

Ring in 2012 with Party Fiesta's creative New Year's foil/latex columns!

Whatever you’re hoping for in the coming year, Party Fiesta Balloon Decor can help you ring in 2012 with an eye-popping assortment of foil specialty balloons and a rainbow of latex balloons! You can choose to have hundreds of brilliant balloons dangling from the ceiling or dropping from the ceiling; you can choose bright bouquets or elegant table centerpieces; you can choose columns or arches. But whatever you do, by all means, choose balloons! Your New Year’s Eve party just won’t be the same without party balloons!

For great ideas on ringing in the New Year with fantastic balloons–and great prices!–visit Party Fiesta’s website: www.partyfiestadecor.com, call (408) 292-6000 or drop by their showroom, located at 999 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, California.

New Year's Eve explodes with elegance and color, thanks to Party Fiesta's brilliant ceiling balloons with holographic ribbons!

But Christmas, as we all know, is so much more than just mall madness and embarking on a quest to scratch off every name on your shopping list. It’s a time for reflecting on the wonderful memories you made during the year with wonderful friends and family and a chance to kick all of your hopes and dreams for the New Year into high gear!

And what better way to celebrate than with party balloons?! Party Fiesta Balloon Decor, the premier balloon decorators in San Jose, California, have been as busy as Santa’s elves in their workshop, creating the most unique (and surprisingly affordable!) balloon decorations!

Whether it’s bunches of brilliant bouquets you’re after, or balloon arches or columns or drops or table centerpieces, Party Fiesta has it all! “We carry a wide variety of Christmas-themed foil balloons,” explains Tony Sellars, co-owner of Party Fiesta, “everything from Santa to snowmen to snowflakes and more!”

Party Fiesta also specializes in unique balloon structures–even the man of the hour–Santa Claus–gets the Party Fiesta treatment! “I am not kidding when I say Party Fiesta can literally make anything out of balloons!” laughs longtime customer Kathy C., who has been counting on Party Fiesta’s amazing designs ever since they first opened for business. “There is nothing these guys can’t do!” she smiles.

“Tony and Rolando at Party Fiesta created a real winter wonderland last year for my son’s Christmas birthday,” enthuses Simka L., who plans to have the Party Fiesta pros deliver some balloon drops to her family’s restaurant for New Year’s Eve. ” They always work within my budget, giving me the most bang for my buck! They’re always on time, too, and I can’t even tell you how important that is! Very, very professional!”

It’s not too late to order your holiday (and New Year’s!) balloons! Call (408) 292-6000 or visit Party Fiesta’s showroom at 999 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, California. They have everything you could want for your holiday parties, so drop in to see what kind of balloon magic Party Fiesta can make for you!

This terrific turkey is the star of Thanksgiving, thanks to Party Fiesta!

As you gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving, Party Fiesta Balloon Decor wants to give you something to think about besides eating yourselves into a delicious turkey coma! If there’s a lull at the dinner table, you might want to pepper the conversation with some of these crazy facts about Thanksgiving you might never have heard before!

Stunning centerpiece, courtesy of Party Fiesta!

* According to fossils discovered, turkeys roamed the Americas as far back as 10 million years ago!

* A whopping 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day (while the percentage drops to about 50% on Christmas Day)!

* According to the Guinness Book of Records, in the annual heaviest-turkey competition in London in 1989, the winner of the greatest dressed weight was a turkey that tipped the scales at a hefty 86 pounds! Talk about leftovers forever!

Add a clever balloon to any centerpiece!

* It is estimated that a staggering 40 million green-bean casseroles are served on Thanksgiving Day!

* When the Pilgrims dined with the Wampanoag Indians at the first Thanksgiving in 1621, the celebration lasted for three days! And they only ate with spoons and knives–no forks!

* Native Americans did not eat the sweet little cranberries we all know and enjoy nowadays–they used the bright berries for dying fabric and decorating pottery!

* Thanks to the blockbuster movie, we all know that Edward Smith was the captain of the Titanic, but did you know the captain of the Mayflower was named Christopher Jones?

Party Fiesta certainly has an eye for creating a stunning table centerpiece for autumn!

* When we settle in to watch Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade, we can all marvel at the fact that those awesome gigantic character balloons have been making their famous trek through the streets of New York City since 1924!

* Only 50% of the 102 Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock lived to celebrate the first Thanksgiving, and of that 50%, only five female Pilgrims survived! And guess who got stuck preparing and cooking that first Thanksgiving feast? Those five women, of course!

* The present Plymouth Rock is now only the size of a car engine and has cracked three times since the Pilgrims first landed!

Party Fiesta's balloon fruits look good enough to eat!

* Benjamin Franklin, among his many other interests, wanted the turkey to be adopted as the national bird…but the eagle took that honor instead!

* Another elder statesman, Thomas Jefferson, actually expressed the opinion that “Thanksgiving is the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard”! Not a turkey fan, apparently!

* Turkeys that receive a Presidential “pardon” escape the frying pan and are sent to a public farm named, appropriately, Frying Pan Park in Herndon, Virginia to live out their days in peace, instead of pieces!

* Scared turkeys can run up to 20mph and can burst into flight at the speed of 50-55mph in just seconds!

Nothing says autumn like a super scarecrow, designed by Party Fiesta!

* Turkeys can suffer heart attacks! When the Air Force did test runs and broke the sound barrier, hundreds of turkeys literally dropped dead from fright! (Does anyone have any gravy handy?!)

So, now that you know some of the wild and weird Turkey Day facts, Party Fiesta Balloon Decor wishes everyone everywhere a wonderful Thanksgiving! The premier balloon decorators in San Jose, California, the balloon pros at Party Fiesta have an eye-popping assortment of Thanksgiving balloons and balloon decor, as well as stunning decor that celebrates the best of autumn!

Please call Party Fiesta Balloon Decor at (408) 292-6000 or drop by their showroom–located at 999 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, California–and be dazzled by their beautiful fall centerpieces and unique Thanksgiving balloon decor!

The soft colors of fall make dazzling bouquets that anyone would give thanks for on Thanksgiving!

Two cool columns nestle under a giant Mickey-ears arch, thanks to Party Fiesta!

Eighty-three years ago, Walter Elias Disney gave the world an everlasting gift…an animated critter that would become the world’s most-beloved character! None other than Mickey Mouse! Here are 10 fabulous facts about everyone’s favorite  mouse!

1) Walt first dreamed up his idea of a sassy little rodent while riding on a train to Los Angeles with his wife, Lillian. The name that popped up in Walt’s imagination was “Mortimer,” but Lillian vetoed that stuffy name, suggesting the more all-American “Mickey,” and “Mickey” it was!

2) Mickey made his first film, “Plane Crazy,” that had a sneak preview at a Hollywood movie house in 1928, followed soon after by his second film, “Gallopin’ Gaucho”!

Party Fiesta makes Mickey the star of this inventive flower arch!

3) Mickey’s true movie debut came later in 1928′s early epic, “Steamboat Willie”–his first movie with sound!

4) Walt was so hands-on with his brilliant new star that he actually supplied the voice of Mickey Mouse from 1928 until 1946!

5) We all know and love Annette and the other kids from the televised “Mickey Mouse Club” in the 1950s, but did you know the very first club started in Mickey’s honor was in 1929 in Ocean Park, California?!

Minnie says, "Hey, don't forget about me!" Dont' worry--Party Fiesta didn't!

6) There were certainly other comic-strip stars in the late 1920s, but Mickey appeared in his first-ever comic strip back in 1930!

7) From the movie screen to the funny papers to the literary world: The first book about our favorite mouse–titled, quite appropriately, “The Mickey Mouse Book”–also was published in 1930!

Walt and his alter-ego, Mickey, were so intertwined and so entertained the world that Walt was presented with a special Oscar at the 1932 Academy Awards for his fantastic creation!

9) Who in this world hasn’t worn at least one Mickey Mouse watch on his or her wrist at some point in our lives?! But did you know the first-ever Mickey Mouse watches were sold in 1933 for a then-whopping $3.75?! It was the Depression, after all!  (Later, the watches were reduced to a more wallet-friendly $2.75!)

Mickey and Minnie make a magical pair of Party Fiesta columns!

10) Mickey’s greatest honor was when General Dwight David Eisenhower led the Allied Forces in 1944′s invasion of Europe, which was code-named “Mickey Mouse”!

So, you see, Mickey is so much more than just a cartoon character–he is a world legend! In fact, according to Tony Sellars, co-founder/owner of Party Fiesta Balloon Decor–San Jose, California’s premier balloon decorators, “Mickey has never stopped being one of our biggest-selling characters! There’s always a new generation of kids who worship Mickey, and he’s a perennial favorite!”

Race to the finish line...right through a bright Mickey-ears arch!

If you stop by Party Fiesta’s showroom (located at 999 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, CA), you’ll be stunned by their wall full of Mickey (and Minnie, too, for that matter!) foil balloons. And you’ll be dazzled by the amazing decor they design with Mickey as the star: columns, arches, structures and so much more! Join Party Fiesta as they celebrate Mickey Mouse’s 83rd birthday…and many more!

Party Fiesta's red/white/blue arch soars high and proud!

To all of the brave men and women who have served our country proudly, Party Fiesta Balloon Decor wants to take this opportunity on this Veterans Day to say a big “thank you”! We owe you more than we can ever express  or repay!

According to the fine folks at History.com, Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and November 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938.

Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day–a common misunderstanding, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle, while Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans–living or dead–but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.

A funky Party Fiesta arch adds the festive touch to any event!

Veterans Day Facts

• In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day.
• In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed by Congress, which moved the celebration of Veterans Day to the fourth Monday in October. The law went into effect in 1971, but in 1975 President Gerald Ford returned Veterans Day to November 11, due to the important historical significance of the date.
• Britain, France, Australia and Canada also commemorate the veterans of World Wars I and II on or near November 11th: Canada has Remembrance Day, while Britain has Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November). In Europe, Britain and the Commonwealth countries, it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every November 11.

 Veterans Facts

The brave men and women who serve and protect the U.S. come from all walks of life; they are parents, children and grandparents. They are friends, neighbors and coworkers, and an important part of their communities. Here are some facts about the current veteran population of the United States:

• 9.2 million veterans are over the age of 65.
• 1.9 million veterans are under the age of 35.
• 1.8 million veterans are women.
• 7.8 million veterans served during the Vietnam War era (1964-1975), which represents 33% of all living veterans.
• 5.2 million veterans served during the Gulf War (representing service from August 2, 1990, to present).
• 2.6 million veterans served during World War II (1941-1945).
• 2.8 million veterans served during the Korean War (1950-1953).
• 6 million veterans served in peacetime.
• As of 2008, 2.9 million veterans received compensation for service-connected disabilities.
• 5 states have more than 1 million veterans in among their population: California (2.1 million), Florida (1.7 million), Texas (1.7 million), New York (1 million) and Pennsylvania (1 million).
• The VA health-care system had 54 hospitals in 1930; since then, it has expanded to include 171 medical centers; more than 350 outpatient, community, and outreach clinics; 126 nursing home care units; and 35 live-in care facilities for injured or disabled vets.
  

  Red, white & blue goes wild, thanks to Party Fiesta Balloon Decor!

Party Fiesta Balloon Decor really knows how to celebrate patriotic holidays such as Veterans Day, with a huge selection of patriotic foil balloons and shiny-bright red/white/blue latex balloons and patriotic decor that anyone would stand up and salute! Check out their showroom–located at 999 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, California! Party Fiesta has all of the magic to make the holidays special!

Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Elmo make great centerpieces!

Where do you go when you want to “sweep the clouds away”? Where do you go when you want to be on your way “to where the air is sweet”? “Sesame Street,” of course!

According to History.com, on this day in 1969, “Sesame Street,” a pioneering TV show that would teach generations of young children the alphabet and how to count, made its broadcast debut. “Sesame Street,” with its memorable theme song (“Can you tell me how to get/How to get to Sesame Street”),  has gone on to become the most widely-viewed children’s program in the world, airing in more than 120 countries!

“Sesame Street” is the brainchild of Joan Ganz Cooney, a former documentary producer for public television. Cooney’s goal was to create programming for preschoolers that was both entertaining and educational, and she also wanted to use television as a way to help underprivileged 3- to 5- year-olds prepare for kindergarten. “Sesame Street” is set in a fictional New York neighborhood and includes a variety of ethnically-diverse characters and positive social messages.

Taking a cue from “Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,” a popular 1960s variety show, “Sesame Street” is built around short, often funny, segments featuring puppets, animation and live actors–a format that has been hugely successful, although, over the years, some critics have blamed the show and its use of punchy segments for shrinking children’s attention spans.

From the show’s inception, one of its most-loved aspects has been a family of puppets known as Muppets. Joan Ganz Cooney hired puppeteer Jim Henson (1936-1990) to create a cast of characters that have become “Sesame Street” institutions, including Bert and Ernie, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover and Big Bird.

The subjects tackled by “Sesame Street” have evolved with the times. In 2002, the South African version of the program, “Takalani Sesame,” introduced a 5-year-old Muppet character named Kami, who is HIV-positive, in order to help children living with the stigma of a disease that has reached epidemic proportions. In 2006, a new Muppet, Abby Cadabby, made her debut and was positioned as the show’s first female star character, in an effort to encourage diversity and provide a strong role model for girls.

Since its inception, a staggering 74 million Americans have watched “Sesame Street.” Today, an estimated 8 million people tune in to the show each week in the U.S. alone. Everyone wants to have a “sunny day” on the most famous, fabulous street in the world! And now the Muppets are making a return to the big screen with their new full-length feature film this Thanksgiving!

“‘Sesame Street’ characters are among our most popular balloons,” states Tony Sellars, co-owner of San Jose, California’s premier balloon decorators, Party Fiesta Balloon Decor. “I don’t think a day goes by when we don’t get a request for Elmo balloon decor. The impact ‘Sesame Street’ has on children and families is amazing!”

Please drop by Party Fiesta’s showroom–located at 999 Lincoln Avenue in San Jose, California–to see what kind of balloon magic Party Fiesta can create for your next party or event! 

All hail the red, white and blue--especially when it's an awesome arch created by Party Fiesta!

Whether you feel voting is a chore or a joy, it’s definitely a privilege and, some would say, every American’s responsibility. What else is that they say? If you don’t like the way the government is run, you have the power to change it! The power of the polling booth…!

This Tuesday, November 8th, is the day to flex your voting muscle, and, as you’re contemplating which candidates to push through to victory or just plain push out of office and which measures to say “yes” to and which to let fade away into the ballot-box boneyard, here are some interesting and unusual facts about the day we all parade our patriotism–Election Day!

Party Fiesta's patriotic columns stand tall, proud and welcoming!

* According to Wikipedia, for federal offices (President, Vice President, and United States Congress), Election Day occurs only in even-numbered years. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years evenly divisible by four, in which electors for President and Vice President are chosen according to the method determined by each state.

* Also according to Wikipedia, elections to the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate are held every two years; all Representatives serve two-year terms and are up for election every two years, while Senators serve six-year terms, staggered so that one-third of Senators are elected in any given general election.

* Also, general elections in which presidential candidates are not on the ballot are referred to as midterm elections. Terms for those elected begin in January the following year; the President and Vice President are inaugurated (“sworn in”) on Inauguration Day, usually January 20.

* Some states recognize Election Day as a civic holiday, including Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and West Virginia.

ELECTION DAY TRIVIA (according to infoplease.com):

• Candidate with highest popular vote: Ronald Reagan (1984), 54,455,075.
• Candidate with highest electoral vote: Ronald Reagan (1984), 525.
• Candidate carrying most states: Richard Nixon (1972) and Ronald Reagan (1984), 49.
• Candidate running most times: Norman Thomas (Socialist Party), six (1928, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944, 1948).
• Candidate elected, defeated, then reelected: Grover Cleveland (1884, 1888, 1892).
  

  Whether it's Election Day, 911 or any other patriotic event, Party Fiesta adds their festive touch!