- May 10, 2025
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The bounce houses shut down due to high winds, but Bradenton resident Brody Pawelkoski, 3, got a quick bounce in beforehand.
Photo by Lesley DwyerLucca Domingues, 3, attends The Big Bounce America dressed as a "monster."
Photo by Lesley DwyerCarter Schwartz is understandably upset that the bounce houses have closed down due to high winds. The 18-month-old is with his dad Chris, mom Megan and brother Cooper.
Photo by Lesley DwyerNathan Benderson Park is taken over by the "biggest touring inflatable event in the world."
Photo by Lesley DwyerThe Big Bounce America stops bouncing about 10 minutes in on opening day because of 20 mph gusts of wind.
Photo by Lesley DwyerFriday is the only day toddlers can bounce, so 2-year-old Nela Gvozdenovic and her mom Nicole are waiting out the wind.
Photo by Lesley DwyerThe OctoBlast is not just a bounce house. Inside, there's a foam party and a live DJ.
Photo by Lesley DwyerA row of tents offers every kind of circus or carnival treat guests could want.
Photo by Lesley DwyerAngela Davis is the "Snow Angel." She travels with The Big Bounce America serving shaved ice.
Photo by Lesley DwyerKristina Waskom is with her 2-year-old granddaughter Gia Talkie. The pair traveled from Tampa to bounce.
Photo by Lesley DwyerAccording to Guinness World Records, this is the largest bounce house in the world.
Photo by Lesley DwyerFoam cannons go off in the OctoBlast.
Photo by Lesley DwyerPasses include a 45-minute party inside the 24,000-square-foot bounce house.
Photo by Lesley DwyerKids are throwing beach balls in the air and at their parents. The DJ incited a kids versus parents dodge ball war.
Photo by Lesley DwyerCovering 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.
