How We Installed Spiral Balloon Columns and a Balloon Garland for Stanford Football Fan Fest

Kyle's solo balloon install at a campus football fan fest

My husband Kyle set up spiral balloon columns and a balloon garland for Stanford Football Fan Fest on September 4, 2026, all on his own. I trained him beforehand, and then he handled both photo spots on campus by himself. The columns stood on both sides of a raised wood booth, and the garland ran across the top of a football stadium backdrop set on pipe and drape with a white shade cover over it. Both were photo booths, so both had to look finished.

Training Kyle on the balloon columns before load in

Our balloon columns go to the job as prepped sleeves, so indoors before the job I walked Kyle through putting one together and he wasn't working it out on campus. We screwed the pole into the base plate, found the top of the sleeve by the tie, slid the column over the pole and set the large white balloon on top. Then we went over tying it all together with a 260, the long skinny balloon we use to tie things on, so the sleeve and topper wouldn't lift off together. A sandbag goes on the base even when the plate is heavy.

For the garland we practiced a 260 bracelet, a loop of that same skinny balloon wrapped around the frame with a balloon slipped through it to lock the garland on. After that you step back, turn the big balloons to face the front, and put a small cluster in front of any neck that shows. We also talked about standing in the shoes of a guest walking up to the backdrop to take a photo. I made some of his 260 bracelets ahead and organized his tackle boxes of on site tools, and Kyle joked on camera that he didn't need any of that training.

Kyle standing the spiral balloon columns at the booth

Kyle carried the prepared columns to the platform, stood them beside the wood booth and checked that they matched. The first one went up crooked. "We have a crooked column," he said on camera, and after moving it up and over, "Look at that, it's no longer crooked." Then the large white topper went on. He sandbagged each base and set the second topper so the two read as a pair.

Hanging the balloon garland on pipe and drape under a shade canopy

A balloon garland on pipe and drape hangs from the frame, not from the fabric, tied on with balloon ties. At Fan Fest the stadium backdrop was on pipe and drape with a white shade cover over it. The client had it set up when Kyle got there, and he attached the garland to the frame under the shade cover.

Step 1. Keep the plastic under the garland while the first end goes up

Kyle pulled the prepared garland from its bag but kept plastic under the hanging length. If those balloons dropped, they'd pick up dirt, look ugly and need cleaning, which adds time to the setup. He wrapped a 260 bracelet around the frame and locked the first end onto a balloon.

Step 2. Raise the opposite end, then shape from the ladder

With both ends on the frame, the garland could leave the ground. Kyle used the ladder to move sections onto the cross pieces, shaped clusters so the big balloons faced out, and kept the span level across the top of the printed backdrop.

Step 3. Fill gaps and stop the droop

He stepped back and filled holes with small clusters. One side was drooping a bit, so he added another cluster there. "We don't do droop around here," he told the camera.

Both Fan Fest photo spots ready for guests

At the booth Kyle stepped back to look at the two columns standing matched on either side of the wood, their big white toppers moving in the breeze. At the second spot the garland ran the whole way across the top of the stadium backdrop in cardinal, gray and white with the big balloons facing front. That's the view we'd talked about in training, the one a guest sees walking up to take a photo. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are done," Kyle told the camera when the garland was finished.

Cleanup with Kyle's friend Dan

After Fan Fest, Kyle's friend Dan came to help clean up. Dan held the bags open while the balloons came down and got popped inside them, so the pieces stayed in the bag. Then the two of them carried away the poles and bases.

What to ask your event planner before the install

Book both zones as one plan. A campus day like Fan Fest often needs more than one photo stop, so plan the columns and the garland as one install.

Ask what the backdrop is set on. Pipe and drape, a canopy or a wall each take different ties and hardware, and the size of the frame tells us which clamps to pack.

Cost. Custom installs start at $650.

Our latex balloons are biodegradable. Our corporate events page has more corporate balloon installs across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Planning near the Stanford campus? See our Palo Alto balloon decor page, plus spiral and organic balloon columns and balloon garland offerings. A related South Bay corporate campus build is our marquee letters with balloons for NVIDIA in Santa Clara. More finished installs live in our corporate events gallery.

Balloon column FAQs

What are spiral balloon columns used for at events?

Spiral balloon columns mark a booth, entrance or photo spot with a tall matching pair. At Fan Fest they framed a raised wood booth for photos.

How do balloon columns stay upright outdoors or on a platform?

Each column stands on a base plate with a sandbag added even though the plate is heavy, and we check that both columns match. The weight keeps them upright on a raised booth or outdoor platform.

How much do custom balloon columns cost?

Custom installs start at $650. See our balloon columns page for options, and tell us the date, venue and colors on the contact page for a clear quote. Timing notes live on our FAQs.

Book your event

If you'd like balloon columns or a balloon garland for a campus Fan Fest or another corporate day near Palo Alto, book your event at least two weeks ahead, and we take last minute jobs too. Poptastic Parties is a woman owned, family operated balloon decor business, and we install across the entire San Francisco Bay Area, including San Francisco, San Jose, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Oakland, San Ramon, Pleasanton, and so much more.