Celebrating Boulder's Bongo the Balloon Man

Bongo at work. The roster contained in the December 2007 blog "Best of Denver Winners from 1994" includes a nod to Bongo, an entertainer -- nay, an artisan -- who made balloon animals for children on the Pearl Street Mall. Little did I expect that fourteen years after receiving this...

By Michael Roberts

November 11, 2008

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Bongo at work.

The roster contained in the December 2007 blog "Best of Denver Winners from 1994" includes a nod to Bongo, an entertainer -- nay, an artisan -- who made balloon animals for children on the Pearl Street Mall. Little did I expect that fourteen years after receiving this accolade, Bongo would still be on the job. But most weekends, he continues to show up outside the Peppercorn, at 1235 Pearl Street, ready, willing and able to twist his inflatables into just about any shape you can imagine. Moreover, he's eerily unchanged, looking just as he did back in the first term of the Clinton administration. Who says good things don't last? -- Michael Roberts

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

Contact: Michael Roberts

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