Tracy's Party Rentals & Sales | Taylor

Tracy's Party Rentals & Sales | Taylor

By Suzanne Haberman Friday, 13 November 2009

TAYLOR — Tracy Sanchez began planning parties from her garage. She would make holiday centerpieces, homecoming mums and party favors for family and friends, but what jumpstarted her business, Tracy’s Party Rentals & Sales, was her son’s first birthday.

“When my son, Ernest, was a year old, for some reason, my husband thought he needed a bounce house,” Sanchez said.

So he bought one.

After her son’s birthday party, Sanchez made the inflatable toy available for rent, and when rentals became successful, she bought more moonwalks in a variety of shapes and sizes for all ages. She even has inflatable waterslides for adults.

“The biggest thing that started everything was the moonwalks,” she said. “We have over 12 moonwalks now.”

Sanchez was born the youngest of nine children and was raised in Taylor. Everyone seemed to know her family, especially her aunt Alice Campos, a creative and helpful individual who was willing to help just about anyone decorate for their events, no matter what the occasion, Sanchez said.

“She inspired me a lot. She was always telling me, ‘Tracy, you have talent. Don’t waste it,’” Sanchez said, “I asked her, ‘If I ever decide to do anything with it, would you join me?’ But she didn’t get a chance to.”

Campos died two years ago, but Sanchez’s creative drive and family connections lived on. When Sanchez married Ernest Alderete, a local lawyer, she became even more deeply rooted in the community.

“I guess you could say I’m related to just about everybody here in Taylor,” she said.

Sanchez’s business outgrew her garage about the same time her husband outgrew his practice on Third Street. When they found a building on Main Street with space for two businesses, Sanchez seized the opportunity to open Tracy’s Party Rentals & Sales in 2008.

Being well-known has been good for the party rental and sales business.

“With our family being so big, they would ask me to do certain things, so I just started creating this, that and the other,” Sanchez said. “Everybody knew to ask Tracy.”

Residents of Taylor and surrounding communities including Granger, Hearne and Thorndale have asked Sanchez to help them throw imaginative parties or add personal touches to traditional events.

She has decorated wedding arches with flowers and lights; dressed rentable tables and chairs with flower arrangements, disposable linens and lace; made customized party favors; assembled flower and balloon bouquets; and delivered, set up and disassembled bounce houses many times.

“I can do anything and everything you like,” Sanchez said.

Although Sanchez does not have any formal training in design, years of experience has given her the ability to listen to her customers’ requests and invent what they need.

“If I talk to a person, and the person is talking about what they would actually like, I can usually get a picture of it,” Sanchez said. “If you can imagine it, we can create it.”