Going Gold with Young + Wild Balloon Co.'s Erin Fehrenbach

Even if you haven’t met Erin Fehrenbach, you’ve probably seen her balloons. As the founder of Young + Wild Balloon Co., Erin creates extravagant balloon artwork guaranteed to “make your event shine with a touch of nostalgia and lots of magic.” Young + Wild’s unique designs have been featured at a wide range of Central Ohio outings, from block parties to galas, but crafting balloon decor wasn’t always Erin’s day-to-day life.

For close to ten years, Erin was a special education teacher with Columbus City Schools. However, with three children of her own, Erin encountered rising childcare costs and made the decision to step away from her teaching position and stay at home with her kids.

It was at this point Erin thought to herself: “If I’m going to be a stay-at-home mom, I’m always going to be entertaining. I’m always going to be having parties, always connecting people.”

In the summer of 2019, Erin threw a retirement party for herself, a birthday party for her son, and a Fourth of July block party for her neighbors. She was inspired by a balloon garland she saw on Pinterest and decided to try her hand at creating her own balloon backdrops. Although she claims these first iterations “looked terrible,” she received numerous compliments on her displays throughout the summer. People who saw posts of the balloons on Instagram started asking Erin to create decor for them, and despite her insistence that “No, you don’t hire people for this, here’s a YouTube link,” the Columbus community rapidly fell in love with her creations.

Born in a ten foot-square room in Erin’s basement, Young + Wild has exploded over the last five years into a successful business with a warehouse, a team of employees, and recognition as the leading balloon decor specialist in Columbus, Ohio.

Erin’s connection with NC4K was initiated when she met Kayla Hanley, cohost of “Zuko and Kayla” on 92.3 WCOL and long-time member of our community of Champions. After Erin completed a balloon display for Kayla’s daughter’s birthday party, Kayla reached out to ask if she’d be interested in providing balloons for her first “Happy Hour for Heroes” event, a fundraiser for NC4K. Coincidentally, Erin was hosting 15 balloon artists from around the country the same week as the fundraiser. They all came together to provide extravagant balloon decor that was larger-than-life.

“Then I connected with NC4K staff, and the rest is history. I think I donated balloons two weeks later for their fashion show. I jumped in feet first. I was like, ‘What do you need?’ Immediately, I was off to the races with them.”

Over the last few years, Erin has created a dazzling line-up of balloon decor for NC4K fundraisers and family events. Just this year, Young + Wild has gifted balloon and alpha-lit displays for our NC4K Gala: A Night at the Safari, Spring Fling, and Back-to-School Bash, with our next collaboration coming up at the NC4K Pure Imagination Fashion Show. As a beloved supporter and Champion Partner, Erin was asked to join NC4K’s Board of Directors last year, and she started her tenure in the beginning of 2024.

Erin speaks with admiration about her fellow board members, although she admits to seeing herself as a fish out of water: “There’s a lot of really incredible people on the board. A lot of influential people, a lot of connections, and just wisdom. I sometimes feel like an imposter. I’m learning a lot about how nonprofits work. There is so much to think about in the nonprofit world.”

One of the biggest pieces of the nonprofit puzzle is raising funds to provide care for the people we serve. With this in mind, NC4K is honored and thrilled to be the benefactor of Young + Wild’s upcoming fundraiser, the highly-anticipated Golden Gala.

Erin explains the backstory behind the event: “Normally, in August every year I throw a huge birthday bash for my business…it’s a very Instagram-worthy, over-the-top event. [Since the Barbie-themed party last year] I’ve been wrestling with the fact that I spend all this money on a party and it doesn’t really do anything. It does a lot of good for my business in some ways, it’s a lot of great publicity, but I don’t really need that at this point…last year, right after the Barbie Party, I was like: ‘All right, year five, it’s gotta be something different.’”

That “something different” became the Golden Gala. This year, Erin’s big party will be taking place not in August, but in September, to align with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The main color will be gold (typically the bash is an “over-the-top pink explosion”) to represent the color of the pediatric cancer ribbon. And Erin has announced a fundraising goal of $50,000 to support NC4K Heroes and loved ones with financial and emotional care.

When asked what potential guests should know about the Golden Gala, Erin says there will be entertainment provided by the always-incredible Conspiracy Band, delicious food catered by Gourmet Fresh, an awesome silent auction, and delicious cocktails and refreshments provided by the event venue, The Ellis. “Take all of the parties I’ve done in the past and just imagine them bigger and in gold.”

If you’re thinking this event sounds like one you don’t want to miss, you’re right! Reserve your spot at Young + Wild Balloon Co.’s Golden Gala on Thursday, September 19 from 6 to 9 pm at The Ellis. Tickets can be purchased at give.nc4k.org/goldengala.

And keep an eye out on our social media for more fantastic balloon decor from Erin, who says this about her partnership with NC4K: “I’ve really loved getting to know some of the families, the history of NC4K, and trying to come alongside and use my network to support the cause.”