Balloon Manor

Awesome to see what talented people can do with balloons. We got there on March 8 at 230p with hopes to do the Balloon Popping but then found out it was Sold out — we were super disappointed. Next year we will buy tickets online before hand.
We really enjoyed visiting the Unilocal table and had some great Karma water samples.
What a great free event in Rochester with simple parking arrangements (Mortimer Garage)

I had an amazing time during the last couple of weeks Balloon Manor was in production. Balloon Manor is a single giant-​scale balloon installation spanning five stories of the Sibley Building. While you won’t be able to walk through the sculpture, you will be able to view this unique air-​filled sculpture from the open balconies. Best of all, it was FREE to see! You’ve really got to see it in person to appreciate the artistry and hard work that goes into this incredible, ephemeral project. Balloon Manor is an Airigami Production, and this years theme was «Under the Sea». You really get the feeling you were in Atlantica, and the mermaids were about to pop out at you. Unfortunately you were not going to find Prince Eric at this event, but you sure do find a lot of Pearls in Seashells to make up for him missing. The event started with the Building of Balloon Manor, and its finale was the Popping of Balloon Manor. Many vendors also joined in on the participation of this event such as Gina from Brown Sugar Bakeries (awesome turtle brownie), Julie from Doc Popcorn, Karma Water!!, and course my Unilocal!crew. Let’s rewind to the beginning of how it all came together.
Building of Balloon Manor– this is where over 60 artists from around the USA came together to assemble, and inflate over 40,000 balloons. They inflated all these balloons by their MOUTH. It was hard work watching them blow all of them up. I gave it a try for a couple of balloons, but I was already running out of air! Larry Moss, and Kelly Cheatle were the main visionaries for the balloon sculpture. Both who have been doing this for decades. Michael Hardy, as usual, did an amazing job of directing everyone during the course of the production. My favorite part of the building was getting under-​neath the pirate ship to hoist it up.
Visit Balloon Manor– Seeing all the spectators for the first time gather to look at the 5– story balloon sculpture was truly a site to see. Everyday the Sibley’s building was jammed packed with cameras flashing off in every direction. The artists continued to keep adding balloon sculptures as the visiting week continued.
First Fifties Friday Flashback Dance– Under The Sea– This is where we got to see the entire exhibit floor transformed into a 1950’s Sock Hop! The live band was Krypton 88, and they jammed all your favorite 50’s beats. In fact it reminded me of the Nifty Fifties musical when I was in Middle School. The accompaniment of the Rochester Swing Dance Network was a great addition to the dance floor. Many people, including myself, came dressed up in their best 1950’s outfits. Unilocal!also had the best costume contest going on throughout the dance. We even saw a Mad Scientist from Back to the Future there!!!
Balloon Poppin Party– as ALL good things must come to an end, so does our time here at Balloon Manor. I never seen the Sibley’s building so packed with 5 stories worth of people, all waiting to get there hands on a prize inside the balloon’s to pop. The lines were a little ridiculous, but it was the experience of going in there and popping them all. The balloons were harder to pop than I expected them to be. My team managed to get at least 100 balloons popped before the «time out» siren rang. For 10 bucks, most people felt they should of had more time in the area to pop. I did not get ANY prizes inside a balloon (so sad). It was cool seeing the pirate ship come tumbling down from 5 stories above.
Overall– great community-​wide event, Airigami, Karma Water, Building of Balloon Manor, Visiting Balloon Manor, 1950’s Dance, The Poppin Party, and the Sibley’s Building… looking forward to next years!

Balloon mania! Great temporary exhibit that is fun and very clever. The creativity is awesome — it is amazing what they can do with balloons. This is the second year we have gone to this exhibit in the Sibley building. Kudos to all of the sponsors of this event!

I love this event and I’m so glad they were able to do again. Looks like more people are taking notice too. Not only is it free and a chance to see some amazing color at the end of winter (a time of year that can a look a little drab), but even the food and venders are reasonably priced. I just got a large slice of pizza from Salvatore’s for $ 4 and a bag of popcorn from Doc Popcorn for $ 3. A nice lunch for a Friday afternoon.
I love walking around and finding all the little details that Airigami has included in their installation, it’s like a life sized look and find.
There is also a small store, with a photo booth ($ 5 for a keepsake photo). Just like last year they have created some events to tie into the exhibit, including an Enchantment Under the Sea Dance – with a nod to Back to the Future (2015 – get it?). The dance is sponsored by Unilocal Rochester. There will also be another popping party this year, where participants will get to pop the balloons (with golf tees I heard) and discover prizes inside the balloons ($ 10 a ticket).
Can’t wait to come back later this week with my family and my good camera. I always love seeing the creative things Airigami can do. They also do custom installations for meetings, conventions, parties and even weddings – in fact they created a piece at the Rochester Makers Faire for the NYSCATE Convention at the Convention Center back in November, which was really fun to watch them build.
I hope this event continues to grow.