Big Poppa Bubble told us after his one-hour show at Hope that he has been making bubbles since he was a baby.  “But professionally, about seven years now. I had to take care of all the little bubbles at the bubble kingdom to keep them away from all the poppers such as the wasps and cacti,” he said, explaining how he had risen to his position. 

But outside the land of make believe that he conjures, Matt Mattingly, a Conway native, said his business did start with an outdoor conversation. “I started about seven years ago with a two-gallon stock pot, a couple sticks and some string. Took them to the park, and then somebody asked if I did birthday parties. Now I am Big Poppa Bubble full on.” 

Mattingly says he’ll go wherever there’s need for bubbles. He can travel as far east as Memphis and into Texas. He will creating his bubbles next at Crystal Bridges on a return trip to Fayetteville. He performed there Saturday for the Firefly Fling at the Botanical Gardens. “There were about a thousand kids running around dressed up like princes and princesses,” he said. 

The kids in Hope, were not in as formal dress, but certainly did the running around, as our pictorial below can testify. Among them was Mattingly's son, chasing the bubbles with the best of them.

Big Poppa Bubble’s visit was part of the summer program at both Hempstead and Nevada County libraries. Magic Mr. Nick is scheduled to visit the Hempstead County Library in Hope at 1:00 p.m. Thursday. A foam show will follow at 3:00 p.m. He will be at the Nevada County Library Saturday at 2:00 p.m. 

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