Inflatable jumping castles have made many a child's birthday a memorable occasion, but one local business is showing that jumping castles are just the beginning of inflatable fun.
At Pump It Up, 3248 N. Freeway Industrial Loop, towering inflatable basketball courts, obstacle courses, slides and bounce houses fill two arenas for a birthday party venue.
Setting foot in the 12,000-square-foot facility is like walking into a giant Crayola crayon box, with walls, floor tiles and inflatable structures in bold primary colors.
Deb and Todd Tweedy, along with friends Maria and Mario Mendivil, opened the Tucson party setting as part of the national Pump It Up franchise in November.
"It's a wonderful place for kids to run off energy and to have a great birthday party," said Deb Tweedy, who works as a nurse practitioner in Glendale when she's not at Pump It Up.
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The Anthem resident said she and her partners chose Tucson for a Pump It Up because it didn't have one yet, while the Phoenix area had several.
The Tucson location now hosts about 100 private parties a month, mostly children's bashes.
In addition to private parties, Pump It Up is open to the public for Pop-In Playtime 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. During that time, a child pays $6 to play. Siblings after the first child cost $5, and parents and children younger than 2 get in free.
Throughout May, Tucson's Pump It Up is donating $1 from every child's Pop-In Playtime admission to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Tweedy said.
Tweedy's mother has been diagnosed twice with different forms of breast cancer, and Maria Mendivil was just 12 when she lost her own mother to breast cancer.
"Being a kid when my mom passed away was difficult," Mendivil said. "Now that I have my own business, I feel I'm able to give back to kids, and at the same time I can help out with breast cancer awareness."
If you go
What: Pump It Up
Where: 3248 N. Freeway Industrial Loop; east of Interstate 10 off the frontage road, between West Miracle Mile and West Prince Road.
Hours: Pop-In Playtime is Monday and Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Parties are by reservation only.
To book a party or get more information, visit http://www.pumpitupparty.com/tucson.html or call 888-9198.
