Local Focus: Gisborne mum Katie Fitzpatrick is obsessed with inflatables

Some people collect stamps, others baseball cards - but for Gisborne’s Bubble Wrap Fun business owner Katie Fitzpatrick, it’s inflatables.

“I do have an obsession with bouncy castles because you can buy anything inflatable. You can literally get a fire truck, or you can get your house made inflatable. It’s never-ending,” Katie said.

It all started in 2017 when she purchased an inflatable balls business called Bubble Wrap Fun from Marketplace on Facebook.

“I saved up enough money over summer doing my bubble balls, and it was like, I’ll just buy two castles and see what happens.”

Once she’d blown one up in her yard and it kept her kids entertained for hours, she knew she was on to a winner.

She now owns 16 bouncy castles, with the intention of having 23 by the end of this year.

“I said I would stop at 10, and then I somehow managed to end up with 11. Then my mind is like, ‘Well, I’m over 10, so I’ve already ruined that promise’. So [I] just kept on going.”

Being unable to find something for her children to do in the school holidays sparked the idea.

With only two weeks of preparation, she decided to run BWF Fun Days. A two-day, inflatable entertainment event with 10 bouncy castles, inflatable bubble balls, soft play toys, bubble machines, and vendors.

A few days before the event only 100 tickets had been sold, but the night before, Katie sold 700 more tickets and then 800 more on the day.

“People were so grateful to have something to do in the holidays. I was just quietly freaking out about all the things that could go wrong, then there was just all this love and happiness.

“It’s worth all the stress,” she said.

“We’ve added face painting, giant bubbles, the Lions Train, and the Amazing Maze.”

The BWF Fun Days 2.0 takes place this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Awapuni Stadium.

You can purchase tickets here.

Public Interest Journalism Fund