Bounce The City comes to Tanger Outlets Deer Park for the first time
Bounce The City is coming to Long Island during its inaugural run from Sept. 9-24 at Tanger Outlets Deer Park. Credit: Bounce The City
Ricochet from inflatable to inflatable when Bounce The City comes to Tanger Outlets Deer Park for three weekends beginning Sept. 9.
Six different interactive inflatable experiences await participants, from a silent disco to a sports arena to an obstacle course. A DJ will spin tunes from a central stage in the parking lot village. A 30-foot-tall inflatable fire hydrant shoots a rainbow arch entrance.
Bounce The City is brought to Long Island by XL Event Lab, the same group that brought Big Bounce America to the Broadway Commons in Hicksville in May and June, says Noa Visnich, a tour manager. Bounce The City inflatables have a smaller footprint that allows the event to be brought to smaller mall parking lot rather than a bigger mall or park or fairgrounds.
A mall is a good match for family entertainment events, says Amaka Muir Tanger Deer Park marketing director. “Shopping at Tanger Deer Park is a social experience," she says.
Here are some details about the new event, which has a tropical theme and is coming to Long Island for the first time:
Bounce The City is coming to Long Island during its inaugural run from Sept. 9-24 at Tanger Outlets Deer Park. Credit: Bounce The City
Disco dome
Participants are given individual headphones to choose music from three channels in this silent disco where each dancer moves to his or her own beat. Don’t like “Cha-Cha Slide?” Switch channels and rock out to another choice. One channel will connect to the live DJ, Visnich says. Parents, no need to be concerned about what kids might hear, Visnich says. “We don’t play anything with inappropriate language,” Visnich says.
Sports arena
The bouncy sports arena offers four corners for play. One has a climbing tower; one has basketball hoops; one has jousting sticks to face off and unbalance an opponent; and one has an inflatable wrecking ball on a rope that participants swing to try to knock each other over.
Massive ball pit
An enormous, inflatable open-air ball pit allows participants to sink into a sea of white, blue, yellow and pink balls. Start a warm-weather snowball-style battle with friends.
Obstacle course
A quarter-mile long obstacle course has runners climbing walls, jumping through hoops and weaving through candy-cane poles. At the end, ride the six-lane sneaker-shaped slide to the finish line. “It’s definitely your workout for the day,” Visnich says.
Potato sack slide
Slip your legs into a potato sack and careen down the giant slide. “It makes you go faster, and it makes it safer because everyone goes down feet first,” Visnich says of the potato sack.
Birthday cake bouncer
This traditional style bounce house has a birthday theme with larger-than-life presents and candles. A birthday cake cartoon figure stands in the center of the bounce house.
Selfie stations
In addition to the interactive bounce activities, two inflatables offer opportunities for colorful selfies and photo-ops. One is beach themed with two giant palm trees and the other is candy themed.
Bounce cafe
Local food trucks will offer fair-style refreshments. “There’ll be lots of chairs and sun covers,” Visnich says.
Bounce The City
WHEN | WHERE Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 9-24 at Tanger Outlets Deer Park, 152 The Arches Circle, Deer Park
COST $23 for a 90-minute session. Socks are required; Bounce The City sells them on site for $5. Only people entering a bounce house need a ticket. Children younger than 4 must have a parent with them.
MORE INFO Sign up in advance for a time slot at bouncethecity.com; hours vary depending on the day. The first session of each day is only for children 7 and younger with parents (if children have older siblings, the whole family should attend the all ages sessions). Tickets are rain or shine within limits; “Once it becomes unsafe we will reschedule for another date,” says tour manager Noa Visnich. Walk-ins will be allowed in the next available time slot, but capacity is limited to a maximum, so advance purchase is recommended, Visnich says.
Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.
