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Top 10 Live Entertainment Professionals near Rockford, IL

Pros with the highest ratings.Pros who have been hired most often.Pros who respond to customers the fastest.Pros who have the most reviews.These are the top 10 pros for your job.

Pros with the highest ratings.Pros who have been hired most often.Pros who respond to customers the fastest.Pros who have the most reviews.These are the top 10 pros for your job.

Avatar for Jim Perona
Avatar for Jim Perona
10.
Jim Perona
10.
Jim Perona

Exceptional 5.0

(11)

Exceptional 5.0

(11)

Music Entertainment

  • 2 hires on Thumbtack
  • Serves Rockford, IL
Erin Mrazek-Diedrick says, "Due to Covid, my husband and I went from a 200+ person wedding to a small intimate ceremony for 12. We chose to have our ceremony at The Morton Arboretums Fragrance Garden, and they highly suggested Jim for our music. I can say hands down, hiring Jim was the best decision we made. His music elevated our small short-notice wedding into something that felt like it could be truly treasured. Jim learned some of our favorite songs, including our first dance song that I also chose to walk down the aisle to. Hearing an acoustic Ho Hey by The Lumineers as I walked down the aisle towards my husband brought us both to tears. The timing worked out perfectly as well. Jim started playing while our guests set up the decorations and got seated, through our ceremony, and his set lasted through our family photos as well. There wasnt a guest with us that didnt say the music is what really brought it all together. I would highly recommend Jim for a small or large gathering. We were originally set to have a DJ play music for our ceremony (back when it was at a large venue) and I now know the experience we would have missed out on and we are glad it worked out this way."See more
Erin Mrazek-Diedrick says, "Due to Covid, my husband and I went from a 200+ person wedding to a small intimate ceremony for 12. We chose to have our ceremony at The Morton Arboretums Fragrance Garden, and they highly suggested Jim for our music. I can say hands down, hiring Jim was the best decision we made. His music elevated our small short-notice wedding into something that felt like it could be truly treasured. Jim learned some of our favorite songs, including our first dance song that I also chose to walk down the aisle to. Hearing an acoustic Ho Hey by The Lumineers as I walked down the aisle towards my husband brought us both to tears. The timing worked out perfectly as well. Jim started playing while our guests set up the decorations and got seated, through our ceremony, and his set lasted through our family photos as well. There wasnt a guest with us that didnt say the music is what really brought it all together. I would highly recommend Jim for a small or large gathering. We were originally set to have a DJ play music for our ceremony (back when it was at a large venue) and I now know the experience we would have missed out on and we are glad it worked out this way."

FAQs

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

Are bounce houses safe?

Bounce houses can be safe if operators and parents take proper precautions. Before renting from a company, confirm they are a legitimate company and hold any licenses and insurance required by your state. Ask to see reports of bounce house safety inspections provided by third parties, to make sure the equipment is in good operating condition to prevent injuries. If the rental company does not provide a staff member to oversee the bounce house for the duration of the rental, make sure you are properly trained on how to oversee the equipment. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these guidelines for parents to help keep their kids safe when using a bounce house:  

  • Follow guidelines for safe installation including anchoring. Position away from fences, greenhouses, branches, etc., which would be dangerous should a child fall onto them.
  • Consider limiting use to children 6 years of age and older.
  • Have kids take off footwear, eyeglasses and jewelry before playing.
  • Take sharp objects (pens, keys) that could cause puncture injuries out of their pockets and hands before playing.
  • Don’t let kids of significantly different sizes into the bounce house at the same time. Smaller kids can get hurt by colliding with or falling under an older child.
  • Heed the height and weight regulations of the inflatable.
  • Food, drink, bottles, glasses, etc., should not be taken onto the bounce house.
  • Supervision should be maintained all the time. Supervision means watching constantly, not just being in the area.
  • Do not allow children to push other children off the inflatable. If it is a flatbed, this is especially important to avoid broken arms and legs. If the bounce house is walled, don’t let kids bounce against the walls and crash into one another — this can result in collision injuries.
  • Don’t exceed the maximum number of children at one time in the bounce house.
  • Don’t let kids climb onto the outside walls. Flips and rough play should also not be allowed.

What is a bounce house?

Bounce houses, inflatable castles, moon bounces, inflatable slides and jumpy castles are all large-scale inflatable houses made for interactive entertainment. Commonly intended for children, bounces houses are made of PVC or other durable materials such as nylon or vinyl that when look like a house or castle when inflated. Rental companies deliver bounce houses to birthday parties, festivals, fairs and other events. The companies have industrial-grade blowers that fill the large structures with air to make them bounceable. A common size for a bounce house might be 15 feet by 15 feet by 13 feet. Bounce houses often have a flat, inflatable bottom pad and inflatable walls so that kids can jump and bounce without being hurt, along with a netting door and windows so that kids can see out and adults can see in. Bounce houses are suitable for both indoor or outdoor events, depending on the venue. For large events, rental companies often have a staff member who stays with the structure to monitor safety and keep it properly inflated. There are also wet/dry bounce houses with slides that you can hook up to a hose on hot summer days. A bounce house can be a fantastic addition to a party with kids, keeping them both entertained and contained.

What is a mariachi band?

Mariachi bands are rooted in Mexican culture. Traditional mariachi bands consisted of two or more members playing stringed instruments, wearing regional costumes adapted from the charro (Mexican horseman or cowboy). Modern mariachi bands, which are likely what you’re looking for when searching for a mariachi band for hire, feature at least four members who play stringed instruments (violin, vihuela, bass guitar called guitarron) and one or more trumpets. The costumes have remained the same, but now trumpets are synonymous with mariachi music. Mariachi bands for hire often play a wide range of music, including styles originating from Mexico and adopted from elsewhere. These include jarabes, waltzes, serenades, corridos (Mexican ballads), ranchera, cumbia, and more. Mariachi bands for hire bring a festive and soulful element to a party, birthday, wedding, corporate affair, fundraiser or community event. UNESCO has inscribed mariachi music on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

How much does bounce a house cost to rent?

Bounce houses are a fun way to keep kids entertained during birthday parties and other events. The national average cost for renting a bounce house ranges between $160 and $200. Cost will be affected by the size, design and functions of the bounce house you rent as well as the length of the rental. A three-hour rental will likely cost less than an eight-hour rental. Many rental companies offer fun additions like popcorn machines or cotton candy makers, and provide packages with discounts on multiple items. Another item that you may want to rent with your inflatable is a generator to keep the bounce house inflated. Here are some examples of average inflatable rental costs, packages, and common add-ons that many companies provide:

  • Bounce house, 10x10x13-foot: $95.
  • Bounce house, 15x15x13.5-foot: $125.
  • Wet/dry slide, 14-foot: $150.
  • Wet/dry slide, 20-foot: $250.
  • Combo bouncer and slide, 24x10x13-foot: $140.
  • Combo bouncer and wet/dry slide, $175.
  • Folding chairs: $1.50 per chair.
  • 6-foot folding table: $8.
  • Snow cone machine: $45.
  • Popcorn machine: $55.
  • Cotton candy machine: $55.
  • 2300-watt generator: $75.
  • 3000-watt generator: $100.
  • $299.95 package: includes a 20-foot dual slide ($250), table ($8), 10 chairs ($15), and a popcorn machine ($55) — $29 savings.
  • $450 package: includes a double water slide ($350) and bounce castle ($130) — $30 savings.

How many mariachis can a band have?

A mariachi band for hire can have as many players as you like. Modern mariachi bands typically have a minimum of four players with the trumpet playing a vital musical role along with stringed instruments such as the violin, guitarrón (a Mexican bass guitar with a deep body), vihuela (a Spanish stringed guitar) and guitar. Strong vocals are also an important component of mariachi bands for hire, since one or more of the players will be singing during the performance. For a truly spectacular show, you can hire a mariachi band with 15 or more players. The medley of stringed instruments, multiple trumpets, soaring vocals, and even an accordion or harp is powerful and beautiful. Mariachis typically wear the traditional costume of charros — Mexican horsemen. The look is a very regal, monotone suit, often in black or white, with silver adornments and embroidery. Mariachi bands often wear sombreros as well. Traditional mariachi bands were only made up of two or more players, according to a UNESCO report celebrating the cultural heritage of the musical style. The style of music originated in the state of Jalisco. Now the style of music is symbolic of Mexico but is celebrated all over the world, and adds a fabulous vibrancy to any group’s events, parties and weddings.

How much do mariachi bands cost?

The cost of a mariachi band for hire will depend on how many players are in the group. Each musician in a performance group needs to be paid, so pricing is usually based on the number of mariachis (musicians), the location of the event (and travel time required), and the length of the performance.

Day of the week also affects cost, as does day — Christmas, New Year’s Eve and other major holidays will cost more than regular days.

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