- December 4, 2024
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Covering 24,000 square feet, it's been named by Guinness World Records as the "largest inflatable bouncy castle," but it’s still no match for a windy day in Florida.
About 10 minutes into the opening at Nathan Benderson Park on Jan. 12, The Big Bounce America had to stop the bouncing due to 20 mph gusts of wind.
“Our No. 1 problem is wind,” Logistics Coordinator Billy Jamison said. “We get to a certain mile per hour and we shut it down or the wind will take them (the bounce houses) with it.”
By Saturday, the wind had died down and the fun was in full swing. Foam blasted from the mouth of a puffer fish, future ninjas bounced a 900-foot course, and the DJ incited a kids versus parent dodgeball war.
With bounce houses that looked like an astronaut, a giant boom box and a sneaker, among countless others, there was plenty to see and eat, even on Friday when the castle had to be deflated.
Vendors were lined up selling cotton candy, kettle corn and every other treat a carnival could offer.
The 3-day event, which ran through Sunday, is not just for kids. The evening sessions were for adults only.
Go to TheBigBounceAmerica.com/event/sarasota for times and prices.