Giant Balloon Sculpture will Inflate Smiles at the J.V. Fletcher Library

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Balloon sculptor and child entertainer Chip Rascal, of Fall River, will build a walk-in balloon UFO in the meeting room of the J.V Fletcher Library in Westford, Monday, July 23, at 1 p.m. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the J.V Fletcher Library, and will be free for all attendants.

From sword swallowing to balloon sculpting and his kids’ entertainment center, WhatTheFun, Rascal’s history as a performer spans all the way back to his early adulthood, when he moved to Europe to begin swallowing swords and juggling for tips as street performer. Rascal then began to play shows in Europe, while still returning periodically to the United States to work a Chinese food delivery job.

“I used to travel around a lot in Europe, and I would run out of money quickly, or I would see people on the street juggling, or doing shows to make money, so I did that. When I got back to the states, people knew about that and they’d ask, ‘can you do my kid’s birthday party,” Rascal said.

Children coming to see the large balloon UFO will be given the opportunity to climb inside of it and pose for pictures. To Rascal, it is important that his balloon sculpting provides not just a form of entertainment, but also an eternal memory documented in photos.

“It’s basically going to be a picture moment, the kids are going to be able to go inside. The more interaction, the better,” Rascal said. “It’s an event for them, usually it’s free, so you can never go wrong with that, and with the pictures, it’s an everlasting memory,” he said.

Rascal was scheduled to build a balloon sculpture at the Chelmsford Public Library July 12; however, according to Rascal, the performance was postponed due to illness.

“I enjoy what I do; I just want to make more balloons, and put smiles on more faces,” Rascal said.