May 15—An enthusiasm for socializing as the pandemic eases is buoying What's Poppin' Balloons, a venture that hosted its first events when COVID-19 precautions were in force.
The business stages parties that range from fundraisers that attract hundreds of people to baby showers for fewer than a dozen, said Courtney Baker, its founder and owner.
During the pandemic, many get-togethers, especially weddings, were delayed, Baker said.
"Now everybody is like, 'Let's celebrate,' " she said. " 'Let's have a party. Let's get together.' I think they are — I don't want to say cherishing those moments more, but in a way, they are."
Baker developed her skills at her children's parties. A relative of a friend suggested the concept for her business after attending a carnival-themed birthday party for Baker's two oldest sons, Ryder Jared, now 12, and Colt Jared, now 9, whose birthdays are about a week apart.
She decorated with a huge red, blue, white and yellow balloon garland and had games like a ring toss.
Baker took the advice, putting a post out on social media in June 2020 that she could coordinate events, and was stunned by the huge response.
"I had tons of inquiries," she said. "It was a little bit overwhelming."
Pressed for time as she juggled filling the requests with her full-time job as a legal assistant and raising her children, she figured out numerous details on the fly, such as how much to charge and where to acquire supplies.
At first, the parties were heavily influenced by measures taken to prevent people from getting sick.
In many instances, she made a balloon garland that was installed in front of someone's home for the birthday, shower or graduation that followed what Baker describes as a drive-by, open-house format.
The guest of honor would sit outside, usually with immediate family members. Guests would arrive one at a time to say a quick hello, drop off a present, take a picture in front of the balloon decoration and accept a party favor before leaving minutes later without mingling with other guests.
Since then, the business has grown steadily. In August 2021, she quit her legal assistant job and opened a storefront in Lewiston's downtown at 710 Main St.
"I was turning away a lot of potential clients because I didn't have the availability," Baker said.
As part of the transition, Baker had to adjust from a schedule of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to weekends.
But her new career has plenty of perks.
"When you work for an attorney, people aren't coming to you because they're happy," she said. "It was a great job. I loved working there. But now everybody that I encounter is happy because they're celebrating something."
And What's Poppin' Balloons has thrived after the changes. The brick-and-mortar location has an event space in the back with an exposed brick wall that it rents.
Clients meet with her at the business instead of by telephone or at a coffee shop.
They can see exactly what some of the options for decorations look like, such as a candy cart or neon signs with words such as "Oh Baby" or "Happy Birthday."
She's expanded to sell party products like paper plates and napkins, some of which are purchased by people who are organizing their own events.
Many of her customers are discovering What's Poppin' Balloons when they are in the shopping district heading to other businesses.
"I get a lot of clientele that way," said Baker, who is on the board of Beautiful Downtown Lewiston, a not-for-profit group that promotes the business district. "They're just like 'Oh my gosh. I didn't realize this was here. This is so wonderful.' "
As her customer base grows, Baker has had to make a few choices about her priorities.
The LCV Artisan Markets she organizes are on hold even though, similar to her business, they gained momentum during the pandemic.
"People just thought it was a great way to get out, maybe do a little shopping, make a day of it with their girlfriends or family and support local businesses," she said.
The first was in August 2020 and had 20 vendors selling a mix of clothing, crafts, candles, soaps, jewelry, furniture and treats.
The last had 65 vendors and was in downtown Lewiston at the same time as Pumpkin Palooza in October of last year. The format is so popular she now has a wait list for vendors.
For now, she's hosting a smaller number of vendors that do pop-up stores in her business on the same days as Beautiful Downtown Lewiston events.
"I'm not completely quitting the artisan markets," Baker said. "I just needed a little bit of a break. ... We plan to resume in the fall. I don't have a date yet."
Job title: Owner and founder of What's Poppin' Balloons
Age: 32
Education: Graduated from Asotin High School. Completed an associate degree to be a paralegal at Lewis-Clark State College.
Career: Previously worked at the law office of Knowlton & Miles in Lewiston before going full-time with What's Poppin' Balloons. The business is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Its telephone number is (208) 792-7973.
Civic involvement: Member of the board of Beautiful Downtown Lewiston and the Asotin County Fair.
Family: Three sons, Ryder Jared, 12, Colt Jared, 9, and Crew Amato, 2.
"(Now that the pandemic is easing) everybody is like, 'Let's celebrate. Let's have a party. Let's get together.' I think they are — I don't want to say cherishing those moments more, but in a way, they are."
