His first gig as ‘Sparkles the Clown’ was when he was seven years old, at a birthday party.

Jacob Cowger, 33, of Marion, said he has been ‘clowning’ for 26 years. He started off with a passion for balloons and that eventually grew into something bigger – a clown, balloon instructor and business owner.

On a recent Saturday morning, Cowger donned his clown costume and sat in his shop – Balloons, Etc. & The Costume Emporium, explaining to a customer on how to apply zombie makeup. Later that morning, Cowger drove to the Chocolate Haus in Amana, for Oktoberfest. He said he gets about 350 – 400 events a year and they range from birthdays, school shows, daycare to corporate events.