SUN PRAIRIE, Wis.— Our celebrations look very different this year.
That shift can be especially tough for kids. That’s why some families are finding unique ways to celebrate, with the help of an artist who works in an unusual medium.
Dawn Farengo began twisting balloons when she was 15 years old.
“This is our life, the constant static-y hair,” she said, as she twisted long skinny balloons.
A social worker by trade, Farengo decided to return to her favorite hobby and start Pop Art Entertainment.
“I love when people are like, ‘Hey, can you make something off the wall,’ and I pull it off.”
She has a yellow submarine in the works for a little girl who loves the Beatles.
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Farengo is making a giant unicorn for a girl’s 10th birthday.
“They couldn’t decide between rainbows and unicorns,” she said. Contrastingly, her choice was easy: A rainbow unicorn.
The seven-foot-tall balloon is supported by PVC framing. That’s the task of her teammate: Her husband Fosem.
He was never into balloon twisting, until a year ago when his wife went to a balloon convention and he tagged along.
“He thought he was just accompanying me and gonna golf when I was at the training. Much to his surprise, he was enrolled,” she says. “But it turns out he loves it.”
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She makes all sorts of balloon creations. Right now though, like the unicorn, she’s doing lots of balloon displays for front yards, as people celebrate while physically distant.
“A lot of people are ordering them for drive-by birthday parties,” she said.
The unicorn took about five hours to put together.
“I name all my creations Jeff. I don’t know why,” she says.
Once they finished the tail and the horn, Dawn and Fosem had the tough task of fitting “Jeff” in the van to be delivered. It took some time, and they left the trunk open, but they made it work.
When they got to 10-year-old Lexi’s house, she, her mom, and two neighbor girls were waiting outside. They knew something was coming, but didn’t know what.
Their faces lit up when Dawn and Fosem carefully unloaded “Jeff” from the trunk. The unicorn quickly had its new home in the family’s front yard.
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Lexi was thrilled. She and the neighbor girls took pictures next to the unicorn, whom she had renamed Uni.
In a normal year, it would be a cool balloon display. But in pandemic times, it means a whole lot more for a girl who can’t have a 10th birthday party.