Adam Rubin, Special to the Standard-Examier

OGDEN — A creative and colorful holiday tradition is taking its shape at Newgate Mall. This year marks the fourth that Locally Twisted, a balloon-craft company based out of West Jordan, is set to inflate the holiday atmosphere for the Newgate Mall’s annual Grand Opening event.

The event will kick off with Jeffery Kimber, owner of Locally Twisted, showing attendees his balloon-craft skills, followed by Santa who will read a Christmas story to the children. Each child is provided a goodie bag with holiday gifts. To wrap up the event, there will be cookies and milk or donuts, and punch for everyone.

“I hope that this is an annual tradition and is something that we are able to continue in years moving forward. I think it’s a great tradition and we enjoy working with Jeff,” said Robin Wade, special leasing and marketing manager, who has been with the Newgate Mall for the last 20 years.

Dunkan Lambert, general manager of Newgate Mall, expressed his joy at the partnership with Locally Twisted.

“With Jeff, we have loved working with him.” Lambert said. “His creativity and animation and ability to be able to bring the balloon sculptures together really has been a delight for the mall; for people as they come through and they see it … They walk by and it’s like, ‘Wow.”‘

Adam Rubin, Special to the Standard-Examier

It’s been a process to get the event where it is today. In the first year, Kimber and his team of balloon artists built a train out of balloons. The second year, they built a balloon version of Santa’s North Pole village.

Last year, although there was no Grand Opening event due to COVID-19, Locally Twisted built their train installation.

Now, for the fourth year, the community can look forward to a balloon sculpture of Santa’s sleigh and reindeer.

Kimber has been a balloon artist for 27 years, and Locally Twisted has been in business for the last decade. He expects this year’s project to take around 100 hours to finish, and about two or three days to create.

“The display is different every year, so people want to come and see what we did that’s different,” Kimber said. For Kimber, all of the effort is worth it for the personal satisfaction he experiences by spending time creating the annual installations and seeing the end result.

Adam Rubin, Special to the Standard-Examier

Even during COVID-19, Kimber explained, many community members came out to see what Locally Twisted team had built for the season.

“I think we all need to do our best to provide something fun where you can get away from all the negativity out in the world,” Wade said. “Why not come down to a place where the community is together and enjoy a treat and enjoy each other’s company and the talents of another?”

It will be held at the Newgate Mall, 3651 Wall Ave., in Ogden, between Dillard’s and The Quilted Bear on Friday from 6:30-8 p.m.

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