Bynum Ball Park

Clydefest 2022

Clydefest 2022 saw a cool and grey day on the Bynum Ball Field.

That didn’t stop people from having a good time!

Durham’s Bouncing Bulldogs jump rope team

Hoop tent at the beginning of the day

Watching the Takiri Folclor Latino dancers

Chatham Dance Connection performance

Hooping and watching dancers at the same time

Hooping on the Bynum ball field

Chatham Dance Connection dancers hula hooping

Takiri Folclor Latino dancers

Trying to get the ball to the top of the board.

Hooping on the ball field.

Making balloon animals

Bynum Ball Field at the start of Clydefest 2022

Clydefest 2018

John the Balloon Man and Karen the Hoop Lady were happy to be part of Chatham Arts‘ Clydefest 2018 at the Bynum Ball Park in April. It was good to see all the Clydefest regulars again!

John the Balloon Man at the Joy of Movement tent.

Blowing giant bubbles.

The hoop tent at the start of the day.

George, the Russian Tortoise, was thought to be 85 years old when this picture was taken. Since then, Peter discovered he is at least 120 years old.

Sue Szary supervises rainstick makers.

Families enjoying all the activities on the midway.

Watching Takiri Folclor perform.

Bouncing Bulldogs perform.

It’s always quiet and still before everyone shows up:

Streamers blowing in the breeze from the hooping tent.

ClydeFish swimming in the pond.

Paints waiting at the Critter Tent.

Clydefest wouldn’t be the same at all without the tortoises, and this year, we had a new visitor, an 85-year old Russian Tortoise.

The African Tortoise, about 20 years old.

A bit camera-shy.

The African tortoise comes out of his shell.

Racing across the open ground at the start of the event.

Save the date for Clydefest 2019!

Balloons and Hooping at the 2016 Clydefest

John the Balloon Man and Karen the Hula Hoop Lady were happy to be part of the 2016 Clydefest on Saturday, September 24, at the Bynum Ballpark.

We had hula hooping and giant bubbles on the infield.

Music in the tent, and aerial dance on silks, and the Bouncing Bulldogs, from Durham.

John the Balloon Man had a steady line all day long, but people who waited were able to stand in the shade of the tent. (That might be confirmation bias showing–it was HOT for this time of year!)

The Clydefest regulars were in attendance, too: Peter Loose and his tortoises, from Georgia, plenty of fun games for children, a painting tent, and great food.

Looking forward to next year!

John the Balloon Man and Karen the Hula Hoop Lady were back at Clydefest 2015 in Bynum Ball Park, celebrating the life and work of Clyde Jones, again this year! It was a beautiful day and everyone had a wonderful time.

Thanks so much to the event sponsor Chatham Arts, who host and organize this event every year!

Here are some of our pictures.

Setting up and walking around before anyone arrived

The crowd

We don’t get much chance to stop and take pictures during the actual event, so this is one picture of the entire ballpark as the crowd started to arrive when the gates opened at 11 am.

John the Balloon Man

Karen the Hula Hoop Lady

After the Show

Ever wonder what it looks like after you go home?

Hope to see you all next year!

On the grandness of Clydefest 2012

Clydefest 2012, held annually in Bynum, NC, to honor the local sculptor Clyde Jones, dawned clear and sunny. It’s been a whole year since a tornado ripped through Sanford into Raleigh, but there were no worries on April 14, 2012! Barely a cloud in the sky.

Clyde "Tire Flower" Tic-Tac-Toe ball toss. What fun! — Clyde “Tire Flower” Tic-Tac-Toe ball toss. What fun!

twisting balloons — John the Balloon Man twisting animal balloons under the red tent.

The gates opened at 11:00 and the children, trailing parents and friends, poured in. The Bynum baseball park quickly filled up with children playing games based on Clyde’s art–fishing for floating fish, throwing bean bags into brightly painted crown tires; painting their own penguins and fish.

Several groups, bands, and entertainers performed under the big tent throughout the day. The Bouncing Bulldogs, from Durham, have won many national and international awards for their jump roping. At the end of their performance, they invited people from the audience to try double-dutch. Their coach says, “Jump rope 10 minutes a day, three times a week and you’ll be fit for life!”

John’s balloon line quickly grew and he was busy till the event closed at 4:00, making dogs, cats, the occasional motorcycle, and all the other colorful balloon creatures and toys he knows how to make. He took a break to eat lunch and enjoy the hooping, but the pictures didn’t get uploaded.

Whereever he goes, John the Balloon man makes friends and creates fans.