The Amazing James

Oakland, United States

5

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 925-238-3474
Website:
www.jamesentertains.com
Address:
Oakland, CA 94610
Lower Hills
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.7 miPark Blvd & Kingsley St
0.7 miPark Blvd & 38th St
0.9 miPark Blvd & Glen Park Rd
Categories:
QR code
Download QR Image Download vCard

Map

Streetview

Activate map

Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (Oakland) 20:37 Thursday, 17 July 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Mind-​popping balloon art, sculptures and decorations, helium balloon deliveries, and amazing face painting… James Entertains is one of the Bay Area’s premier party entertainers! Call to inquire about rates and availability: (925) 238‑3474

History

Established in 2000.

James got his start in making balloon animals back in college when he entertained at restaurants on weekends. Now that he has a real (and truly amazing) job, he spends his time off as a balloon artist for parties, festivals and other events. He still has a bug for restaurant work, and you can find him frequenting IHOPs in Emeryville and Walnut Creek.

Meet the Business Owner

James F.

Business Owner

James got his start in party entertainment as a kid. Around age 8, he made his first balloon dog using balloons he bought with some lemonade stand money. His older brother first taught him how to juggle at age 10, and just a few years later, he was called to the stage to assist a professional juggler. James stole the show when he juggled the performer’s knives! …A star was born.

James’ repertoire has grown to include a few card tricks, flaming torches, and an occasional penny pulled out of a child’s ear, but his most notable skill these days is his magical ability to twist a balloon into a motorcycle, dragonfly, Elmo, T-​rex, or any number of other fascinating things. You may wonder, «where did he learn this incredible skill?» College, of course. (Seriously. He’s got a Masters Degree.)

These days, James shares his talents at private parties, restaurants, and street festivals throughout the Bay Area. He still steals the show wherever he goes, and he loves to perform.

Related places

You might also like:
470
ft
Sacred Events
(Lower Hills)
470
ft
Jewish Interfaith Wedding Network
(Lower Hills)
470
ft
Andris Kasparovics Lighting Design
(Lower Hills)
470
ft
Khalil Entertainment
(Lower Hills)
470
ft
Jumpin Gymsters
466 Chetwood St (Lower Hills)
940
ft
Be Hitched Event Planning & Design
(Lower Hills)

Nearby

Near this location:
340
ft
Adrite Promotions
650 Trestle Glen Rd
350
ft
Inner Energy Transformation
460
ft
Steps On Toes
470
ft
Tara’s Mobile Notary
470
ft
Jewel in the Lotus Coaching
470
ft
Lise Thogersen Design

20 reviews of The Amazing James

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Piedmont, CA
Great guy! Great entertainment for the kids. Very interactive and makes them use their imaginations ! Perfect for 3 – 4 year olds. Makes special shapes by request for each kid– that make perfect going home presents/​favors.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
I used the Amazing James at my daughter’s first birthday party today. He was a huge hit! There were kids ranging in ages 1 to 12, they all loved their balloons. The adults were also thrilled, they were very happy with James’ creations. He was very easy to work with, on time, and very professional. I am very happy we hired him.
Place rating: 5
Alameda, CA
This guy is truly amazing! We hired him for our store event at the last minute and he came through without any issues. Booking was simple. He is responsive and our transaction was done through two phone calls. Two days later he showed up to our event and setup the balloon arches that we needed on time. No headaches, just great all around service. No doubt will hire him again for all our future store events.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
I literally just had Amazing James at my house for my daughter’s birthday. Kids and adults alike LOVED him. He was creative not to mention professional and responsive. Our party was a fundraiser and Amazing James gave it his best! I HIGHLY recommend his services!
If there were 10 stars to give, I would gladly give it!
Place rating: 5
Moraga, CA
Starting with communication, James was very on point! Very quick to respond even though I was emailing him around his vacation, which I very much appreciate! Booking was easy and once done, I didn’t think about it again until he showed up at the party!
He (and Jess for face painting) came out to my daughters fairly small 2nd birthday party. He was immediately on to it and since we had so few kids, they were all able to stay occupied a few times over during the hour. He even made a very convincing garbage truck that my daughter loves, and even a week later with frequent play is still holding up pretty well (only one small part has popped).
I was worried that because he was not dressed up, that the kids might get shy, but he was so personable and friendly, everyone enjoyed interacting with him. Jess was great too, even when painting on a very nervous toddler. They were both so friendly and talented, I’d definitely love to have them both at another party soon!
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
James really, really lives up to his name. He was easy to reach, a clear communicator, eager to accommodate us, flexible with last minute changes, so kind, easy-​going, and FANTASTIC at our 3 yo’s birthday party. He was thronged with kids for about two hours. He made sure every last one got an impressive piece of balloon art before he left. Such a kind, friendly guy, and very talented. At least three parents have asked me for his contact info. He was a hit. Absolutely made the party.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
Amazing James was such a huge hit at my 3 yo daughter’s recent birthday party and he has definitely earned his name — James is truly amazing! He patiently fielded requests from all the kids and kept outdoing himself over the course of 1.5 hours. We were impressed with the balloon elephant, panda, unicorn… but then he starting making even more intricate creations like a fire truck (complete with a ladder!) and a dragon (breathing fire!). The kids were entertained, the parents were impressed — what more can you ask for? Seriously, I don’t think a single minute went by without someone saying, «OMG, that’s amazing…» and he completely exceeded my expectations. Loved that it was also very easy to make an appointment — I used the online booking system on his website and James responded via email to confirm within 24 hours. He was punctual, professional, great with the kids, and even brought a present for my birthday girl. How thoughtful is that?! Oh, and for any other folks out there who are really creeped out by clowns like I am, I really appreciated that he was dressed normally and let his talent speak for itself — no gimmicks.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
We hired james to do balloon superheroes. animals, etc for my son’s 4th birthday. James was fabulous. As soon as he pulled out his ballon belt the kids gathered around him for the next hour. He took requests from the kids and his creations were great! He also brought a present for the birthday boy.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
James and Jess were truly amazing. Every parent at the party took their business card. I highly recommend the package that includes the facepainting with the ballooning. They were a blaze of activity for 90 minutes. And even with long lines of excited kids they kept things organized and there were no meltdowns. Jess and James struck the perfect balance of professional and fun. Also the balloons James made had the adults amazed too. And the facepainting went way beyond our expectations. We’d do it again in a second. And the price was well worth it.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
James is called «Amazing James» for good reason! We booked him for our son’s 4th birthday party and not only can he make ANYTHING out of balloons, but he is friendly and professional. Everyone of our guests said that he was hands down, the best balloon artist they have ever met. He also came with a great gift for our son (coloring book, crayons and bubbles) which was so kind. Book him! You will not regret it!
Place rating: 5
Lafayette, CA
We had a birthday party at our residence last weekend. We booked James based on all his positive reviews on Unilocal and recommendations from the Berkeley Parents Network website. James was awesome with communicating on the booking and initial contact for the party. He was on time, cheerful and ready to go with 17 eager kids ready for him to entertain! He kept a smile on the whole time and the adults and kids all were amazed by the Amazing James! He was definitely a highlight of my little one’s big party. I can’t say enough nice things about his character, patience with the kids and excellent balloon artistry. Highly recommend James!
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
James was booked to create balloon sculptures at our holiday party along with Jessica (?) the face painter. He was very responsive to emails and very easy to work with.
At the holiday party, he was great. He worked well with the children and the adults. Once the children had their fill with the balloons, he went around to all of the tables and showed people how to make balloon sculptures. I appreciated the effort he put in to engage everyone, including the adults.
Jessica was also great.
Place rating: 5
Hayward, CA
James was awesome at our company picnic. We had balloon creations and face painting. Very friendly, easy to work with and professional. Highly recommend him and his entertainers for your event.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
We hired James and a Face Painter for our daugther’s 4th birthday. They did a great job entertaining and keeping the kids engaged and happy. His creations were great and everyone had a good time! Thanks James– you are awesome to work with!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I can’t say enough good things about James Entertains!!! James made my daughter’s 8th birthday so special yesterday. He has a wonderful way of relating to children, making them laugh and making them comfortable; he is kind, gentle, and funny. From the beginning of our party he had a crowd of smiling faces gathered around him, patiently waiting their turn. The repertoire of things he can create is vast – and adaptable! I mentioned to him casually that my daughter’s favorite show is My Little Pony, and although James had never made a balloon MLP, on the spot he created a Pinkie Pie for my daughter (after looking at a few examples on his cell phone). This truly made my daughter’s day. Whatever kids asked for, James made it, and invariably left them with huge smiles on their faces. Throughout our party, other parents approached me to compliment James and to ask for his contact information. One parent said he was the best balloon artist she’s ever seen. I felt very lucky to have him at our party. I would recommend him most highly.
Place rating: 5
Fort Worth, TX
James definitely does entertain and is amazing!!! We recently hired him for our twin boys 4’th birthday. I highly recommend him. First of all he is a very nice person and the kind of person you would want to spend time around your children and guests. He is a great role model as well as entertaining and fun. He is very good and patient with all ages of children, from 12 months to 12 year olds and the adults. Funny, creative and caring. We had some kids and adults who tried to stump him with some crazy requests… a dinosaur, a school bus and a soccer player. His creations were imaginative and joyful. The children were still talking about the party and the balloon man at school the next day. He is responsive and easy to communicate with. His rates are very reasonable. I whole heartedly recommend him and am looking forward to having him at our next event. Thank you James!
Place rating: 5
Hayward, CA
James is simply AWESOME!!! I recently booked James last minute for my twins birthday party after being burnt by another entertainer unexpectedly. He is very Professional and requires just a $ 20 deposit to secure your event. He gets back in touch with you promptly, and is very friendly and honest. So honest that PayPal sent my deposit twice and I wasn’t even aware, he returned it immediately. He’s also very courteous, he asked me beforehand if he could bring a young guest that he’s mentoring showing him how to run a business. The day of my event he arrived early, he was very pleasant and VERY GOOD with the kids. Even when he was surrounded and bombarded by a group of kids he was able to keep his composure. He was also very engaging and interactive, He moved very quickly and was a hit! I would DEFINITELY Recommend James and book him for future events!!! he really came through for me and I cannot thank him enough!!!
Place rating: 5
Livermore, CA
James was a huge hit at the party I threw for my girls turning 5 & 6. The bounce house was hardly used at all the entire time James was over. The kids just couldn’t get enough! James made Iron Man, Spiderman, Ninja Turtle heads, Giant rainbows and Hello Kitty’s to name a few. I’d recommend him in a heartbeat. Thanks again James for all the fun! :)
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
I will add to the praises! I agree with the previous reviews. We booked James and Jessica for our daughter’s 4th birthday party based on the Unilocal reviews. There were almost 20 kids, from toddler to 9 years old. They were all engaged by James’ talent with the balloon art and Jessica’s face painting skills. James could make anything from a helicopter to a parrot sitting on a child’s shoulder. We enjoyed that it’s interactive, it’s fun to watch, and it leaves you free to mingle with the guests. My daughter said she wants the same «balloon twisty guy and face painty lady» at her next birthday party so there you have it! An emphatic recommendation from us and from our daughter.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
This guy is awesome! I scheduled him for my sons 3rd birthday party and him and his wife arrived right on time. Both were absolutely wonderful to deal with; very pleasant to everyone and especially patient with the children, as they were heckling them constantly for more balloons and more face painting.
I loved the fact he can make a Barack Obama too! James is very creative and made us some really cute, funny hats and all types of animals for the kids. His wife’s art skills on skin was impressive. I would recommend them for anyone; not just for kids:). He and his wife were a hit among all! Great party fun!
No cons here, absolutely none. Worth every penny spent:)