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.
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.
