New Alton Business "We Like to PARTY" Provides Characters for Parties and Events

ALTON - From Bluey to Blippi to Mickey Mouse, “We Like to PARTY” has a variety of characters who can make your party even more fun.

After Whitney Bilan struggled to find a Peppa Pig costume to celebrate her daughter’s birthday, she decided she would start her own company to provide characters for parties, home visits and other events in the Riverbend area. A few months later, Bilan’s company has grown to include several costumes and hundreds of excited kids who love to hang out with their favorite characters.

“It’s just very fulfilling to know that these kids are so excited,” Bilan said. “I want to do something that I enjoy. This is something that I’ve put my heart into. I know how much kids enjoy seeing a character and making them smile. It’s just great.”

Bilan’s best friend, nieces and 16-year-old daughter are usually the people in the costumes. She said the business has been a fun way to bring joy to kids in the area. We Like to PARTY offers hourly visits, 30-minute visits or shorter one-on-one visits to homes and hospitals.

“Of course, even though these times are stamped, I will never leave a child or any situation or event or occasion without making sure that every child has been interacted with and had that great experience,” Bilan added. “We take our time to make sure it has an impact on the child.”

If you want to see We Like to PARTY in action, you can also stop by the indoor play gym We Rock the Spectrum in Edwardsville on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. Bluey will be hanging out at the gym from 10 a.m. to noon. Reservations are required. Visit the official We Rock the Spectrum website for more information.

We Like to PARTY will continue to work with We Rock the Spectrum to bring more characters to the gym in the future. Bilan hopes to collaborate with community partners like this more often. Her goal is to spread the reach of her characters as far as possible to reach as many children as she can.

“I always had it in my mind, I just wanted to do something that I really, really enjoyed. I don’t want to go to work and feel like I’m working. I want to be very happy when I go to work or whenever I do anything that I do,” Bilan said. “It’s something that I’m very, very proud of and I want people to know that, hey, she has the best quality mascots and the best customer service. I’m very sweet, I’m very nice, you will be very satisfied. All of my workers and performers are very, very sweet with the kids. Just that experience, that’s what I want to come from it: memorable experiences.”

For more information about We Like to PARTY, including how to book a character for your own event, check out the official We Like to PARTY Facebook page or call Bilan at (618) 636-8988.

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