If you’re looking for town and city community event examples and ideas, here are the most popular event entertainment ideas we’ve seen over the past decade! Whether you’re looking for festival ideas for small towns or big city block party entertainment ideas, we have you covered!
Kaleidoscope has entertained at hundreds of town and city events, from Union CT’s Old Home Day (population 3,200) to Boston MA’s public block parties (population 673,000 and counting).
We’re proud New Englanders who love our region’s traditions (like summer camps and niche town festivals) and are even more proud to be the highest-rated event entertainment agency in the entire US, despite only serving our six tiny states!
Here are our favorite types of entertainment for your upcoming town or city community event, sorted into three categories: booth & tent entertainment, strolling performers, and holiday specials.
Booth & Tent Entertainment Ideas for Towns & Cities
Face Painting & Balloon Twisting
Age Range: Toddlers – Tweens (and even some teens and adults!)
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist:
- Full face paint designs or multi-balloon designs: 10-12 guests
- Speedy face designs or simple balloons: 15-20 guests
Number of Artists Available: Up to 20 per event
At a Glance: Our artists set up at a booth or tent and move quickly through a line of kids!
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: This is THE most popular festival option we have! Our speedy face menu is custom-engineered to move through a huge line fast with a guarantee of 15-20 faces per hour with some artists reaching close to 30 faces per hour. With up to 20 artists available, no one can match our speed! Perfect for drawing in a large crowd on a budget.
Not Recommended For: We don’t recommend face paint for events with a ton of water (it will wash off easily) or balloons for events with a ton of hands-on activities (parents end up holding them). But honestly, these are our most popular types of entertainment for both small town festivals and big city block parties!
Logistical Considerations: Face painters need 1 table and 2 chairs per painter. Balloon twisters just need some table space and 1 chair per twister. Besides that, we’re pretty self-contained!
LEARN MORE ABOUT FACE PAINTING INGREDIENTS & SAFETY AND OUR SPEEDY MENUS HERE!
Caricatures
Age Range: Upper Elementary, Tweens, Teens, and Adults!
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist: Up to 10 guests drawn per hour
Number of Artists Available: Up to 8 per event
At a Glance: Our caricature artists will draw fun cartoons of your guests. To maximize speed (a constant consideration since we specialize in large events), we limit our caricatures to black and white busts to get more heads drawn per hour.
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: Caricatures are THE bucket-list item! Plus, we can create custom templates that advertise your town, department, or event on every page.
Not Recommended For: Events focusing on young children, who often don’t know why they have to sit still for 6 minutes!
Logistical Considerations: Each caricature artist needs 1 table at dining-height (no high tops or children’s tables) with 3 chairs for them and guests.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CARICATURES HERE!
4 Types of Temporary Tattoos
Age Range:
- Glitter tattoos: toddlers through adults
- Airbrush tattoos: upper elementary through adults
- Flash tattoos: tweens, teens, adults
- Henna: ages 12+ (it can get messy on younger kids)
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist:
- Glitter tattoos: up to 30 tattoos per hour
- Airbrush tattoos: up to 30 tattoos per hour
- Flash tattoos: up to 25 guests per hour
- Henna (single finger designs): up to 25 guests per hour
- Henna (full hand designs) 10-12 guests per hour
Number of Artists Available:
- Glitter tattoos: up to 20 artists
- Airbrush tattoos: up to 15 artists
- Flash tattoos: up to 10 artists
- Hennaa: up to 5 artists
At a Glance: Mix and match any temporary tattoos you want! Guests will line up, pick a tattoo from our built-for-speed menus, and have it quickly applied to them. Tattoos last anywhere from a few days (glitter, flash) up to a week (airbrush, henna) but most can be easily removed with rubbing alcohol (except henna).
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: Our temporary tattoo stations are perfect line-buster activities because we can get through so many guests at once, and are popular with all ages if you want to make sure there’s something for everyone.
Not Recommended For: Marketing-specific purposes. If your event goal is to draw the biggest crowd possible, face painting and balloon twisting are typically more popular crowd magnets.
Logistical Considerations: Temporary tattoo artists need 1 table and 2 chairs per artist. Airbrush tattoos additionally *require* a 3-prong electrical outlet near their station. (Glitter, flash, and henna are self-contained.)
LEARN MORE ABOUT ALL OUR TEMPORARY TATTOOS HERE!
Cartoon Meet and Greets
Age Range: Toddlers and Early Elementary Kids
Number of Guests Entertained Per Mascot: Up to 30 per hour
Number of Mascots Available: We typically have about a dozen characters in our roster and up to 6 mascot actors available on any given day. Check out our current line up here.
At a Glance: Cartoon mascots come for a theme-park style meet-and-greet!
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: Cartoon meet-and-greets pack a massive marketing punch that draw a huge crowd of young families, and are often very cost-effective for your town or city!
Not Recommended For: Stage shows or extreme heat events. Mascots cannot talk or see very well, so they can be introduced on a stage but cannot do things like face paint, balloon twist, or do crafts. The mascots also heat the person inside at least 20°F hotter than the outdoor temperature, so they cannot be placed in the direct sun and during summer require heat safety breaks.
Logistical Considerations: Mascots require an adult handler from your team (or we can provide one); one 15min break per every contracted hour (so a 2hr contract from 2:00-4:00p would include two 15min breaks during that time); and a space to change/break. We are love our professional actors and it’s extremely important to us that they stay safe at events. Please read more about mascot safety here.
LEARN MORE ABOUT MASCOTS HERE!
Tie-Dye T-Shirt Make-and-Take
Age Range: Elementary through adult
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist:
- For kids, one tie-dye artist can assist up to 6 kids at a time and up to 25 kids per hour.
- For teens and adults, one tie-dye artist can assist up to 10 at a time and up to 40 teens and adults per hour.
At a Glance: Our tie-dye artists help guests band, spray, and bag tie-dye apparel! This low-mess solution is the perfect make-and-take station that, if there’s no line, takes guests about 6 minutes to move through and complete.
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: We love any activity that emphasizes play or hands-on participation. Make-and-take stations are perfect for that, and this is our favorite one!
Not Recommended For: Formal events, events where mess is a concern (although our spray dye is cleaner than traditional tie-dye), or entertainment for kids under 6 who may not have the motor skills to spray.
Logistical Considerations: Tie-Dye needs at least 2-3 long folding tables (we will provide drop cloths). Guests should either plan to take their tie-dye with them in a bag, or you should prepare another 1 long folding table per 15 guests as a drying station. (We will provide gallon bags with name tags.)
LEARN MORE ABOUT TIE-DYE HERE!
Strolling Performer Town Festival Entertainment Ideas
Strolling magicians
Age Range: toddlers through adults
Number of Guests Entertained Per Magician: About 6-7 tricks per hour, up-close with groups of up to 10 people per trick
Number of Artists Available: Our magicians are one of a kind, but on any given day, we have up to 4 available.
At a Glance: Our magicians walk through your event performing up-close tricks for event-goers. It’s a special, intimate touch on large events!
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: If you’re trying to add an element of wonder and surprise to your event, an up-close magician is an unexpected encounter that will be the highlight of guests’ day!
Not Recommended For: Purely seated events, like galas or dinners. Magicians can stroll through tabled dining rooms, but often this breaks up guests’ conversations and doesn’t have the same element of surprise as a large festival or public event where everyone is standing.
Logistical Considerations: Our magicians need a small spot to stash extra items, but if they can park close to where they’re strolling, they can always leave things in their car. This is one of our most flexible types of entertainment!
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR MAGICIANS HERE!
Strolling circus artists
Age Range: All Ages
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist: Stilt walkers, clowns, and jugglers are more of a “vibe” addition than entertainment, so one or two will make a large impact on everyone at your event.
Number of Artists Available: This is one of our most specialty products with only 3-4 circus artists available at any given time.
At a Glance: Our clowns, stilt walkers, and jugglers make their way through your event, adding ambiance to any carinval, festival, or circus-themed event!
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: One or two circus performers can make a huge difference on the festive atmosphere of your event, no matter how many guests you have–making it a very budget-conscious addition to your event.
Not Recommended For: Events out in open fields, on beaches, or in camps. Uneven terraine can make working while walking unsafe and not very much fun.
Logistical Considerations: Clowns and jugglers are self-contained. However, stilt walkers require one 15min break per every contracted hour (so a 2hr contract from 2:00-4:00p would include two 15min breaks during that time) and a tall platform to get onto their stilts (bar top, their car roof, a stage edge). For their safety, stilts should only be performed on flat black top or indoor flooring, and never on sand, dirt, or uneven lawn.
LEARN MORE STILT WALKER SAFETY HERE!
Special Holiday Community Event Examples
Easter, Purim, and Spring Celebrations
Age Range: Elementary kids
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist:
- Easter Bunny Visits: up to 30 kids per hour
- Face painting: 10-12 kids per hour
- Balloon twisting: 10-12 kids per hour
Number of Artists Available:
- Up to 4 Easter Bunnies available
- Up to 20 face painters or balloon twisters available
At a Glance: Invite the Easter Bunny to your bash! We also have spring-specific face painting and balloon twisting menus for any celebration. (And don’t worry–all of our holiday menus are for everyone in your community, so we have plenty of Purim and secular spring designs we include for families who don’t celebrate Easter.)
Why We Love It for Town & City Events: By spring, we are all desperate to reemerge from winter’s dark isolation. Kick off spring in New England by inviting families out for a themed event!
Logistical Considerations: If you want our artists to bring spring-specific menus, please notify our office at the time of booking.
Mascots (including the Easter Bunny) require an adult handler from your team (or we can provide one); one 15min break per every contracted hour (so a 2hr contract from 2:00-4:00p would include two 15min breaks during that time); and a space to change/break. We are love our professional actors and it’s extremely important to us that they stay safe at events. Please read more about mascot safety here.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EASTER & SPRINGTIME ENTERTAINMENT HERE!
Halloween + Fall Holidays
Age Range:
- Fall & Halloween Kids Face Painting & Balloon Twisting: Toddler, elementary kids, and families
- Day of the Dead Deluxe Face Painting: Tweens, teens, and adults (but can be enjoyed by kids as well)
- Tarot & Palm Reading: Ages 16+ only (younger kids may not understand the difference between metaphor and reality)
- Strolling Magicians: All ages
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist:
- Fall & Halloween Kids Face Painting & Balloon Twisting: 10-12 full designs or 15-20 speedy designs
- Day of the Dead Deluxe Face Painting: 10 guests per hour
- Tarot & Palm Reading: Up to 10 guests per hour
- Strolling Magicians: About 6-7 tricks per hour, up-close with groups of up to 10 people per trick
Number of Artists Available:
- Fall & Halloween Kids Face Painting & Balloon Twisting: Up to 20
- Day of the Dead Deluxe Face Painting: Up to 10
- Tarot & Palm Reading: Up to 6
- Strolling Magicians: Our magicians are all unique, but we have several available on any given day
At a Glance: Throw a fall festival that mixes traditions and is full of fall color! Our special fall products are never-scary and family-friendly and our special seasonal menus feature spooky hints at Halloween while still having plenty of entertainment options for families who don’t celebrate it.
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: We love fall! We love New England! We would love to celebrate the best season to be a New Englander with you!
LEARN MORE ABOUT FALL ENTERTAINMENT HERE!
Christmas + Winter Holidays
Age Range: Toddlers, elementary school kids, and families
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist:
- Santa Meet-and-Greet: Up to 30 kids per hour
- Holiday face painting and balloon twisting: 10-12 guests per hour
- Holiday speedy face painting & simple balloons: 15-20 guests per hour
- Christmas elf add-ons: turn any of your entertainers into elves! (Guests per hour depend on art type.)
Number of Artists Available:
- Up to 1 Santa per event
- Up to 15 elves for face painting, balloon twisting, temporary tattoos, or caricatures
At a Glance: Throw a perfect winter town event! We have Santa, elves, and tons of classic Christmas designs, but one of the things we love about New England is how diverse our communities are. All of our special winter menus come with Christmas, Hanukkah, and secular winter designs so no child ever feels left out.
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: Nothing will pull families to your event like a free visit with Santa! And our special winter face painting and balloon twisting menus will include every family in your town.
Logistical Considerations: Santa requires a chair. We **MUST** be informed if the event is outdoors or indoors with a minimum week’s notice before your event if we need to ship extra heated layers to keep our artists warm, and for outdoor events our artists **MUST** be placed next to outdoor heaters for their safety. (We love our artists and safety is our #1 priority here!)
LEARN MORE CHRISTMAS AND HANNUKAH EVENTS HERE!
Patriotic Holidays
Age Range: All ages
Number of Guests Entertained Per Artist:
- Full face paint designs or multi-balloon designs: 10-12 guests
- Speedy face designs or simple balloons: 15-20 guests
Number of Artists Available: Up to 20
At a Glance: Let us bring our patriotic red, white, and blue menus to your Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, or Veterans’ Day event! These flexible menus have something for anyone who wants to get their face painted.
Why We Love it for Town & City Events: When you’re celebrating a local or federal holiday, these menus have been crafted to give a nostalgic Americana feel to any event.
Logistical Considerations: If you want our artists to use any holiday menus at your event, including patriotic ones, please let our office know at the time of booking. (And if you’re looking for parade entertainment, we don’t recommend walking balloon twisters unless you are ok with extremely simple dogs-or-swords type options. Mascots make for better parade walkers, but talk to our office at the time of booking.)
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PATRIOTIC HOLIDAY OFFERINGS HERE!
Ideas for Libraries and Town Summer Camps
Looking for even more entertainment? Check out our lists to inspire your librarians or parks and recs departments!
Town events are truly our favorite events to participate in, so we hope to work with you soon!
Categories: Local Event Planning, Party Ideas (CT MA RI NH), Party Planning Help