My daughter had come home from seeing the Great Zucchini at her preschool and told me that she wanted to invite him to her birthday party. On a whim, I looked up his website and called his phone number, thinking that I would get a recording. He picked up after the third ring. It was such a surprise, given that he is booked all the time for shows. As fate would have it, he was available on the one date I needed him for my daughter's birthday, so i booked him. The Great Zucchini "brought down the house" at our daughter's 5th birthday party last weekend. We had about 30 kids along with their parents over and he put on a great show for everyone. He arrived early and set up his props in our living room while the kids were occupied elsewhere. When it was time, we gathered everyone in our living room with the kids sitting on the carpet. The funny thing was that a few of the parents hadn't seen him perform (neither had I, but my kids had at their preschool) and thought that he was my husband's disheveled brother. He did look like he had just rolled out of bed, but that's part of his shtick. He had great energy, fun props, and really involved the kids in his act. We had kids ranging in age from 3 years to 10 years old and all his tricks had mass appeal. It was so great to see the kids laughing with their entire bodies, rolling on the floor at his jokes. The parents got a big kick out of seeing that, too. The show lasted about 45 minutes and at the end, even the older kids got "transported to another dimension" in front of the younger ones - a trick that apparently hadn't worked before, but worked this time in our house! The Great Zucchini was kind enough to stay a little longer and helped us out with a few games and with the pinata while we got the cake ready. Overall, everyone had a great time and the highlight of the party was the Great Zucchini. He is an AWESOME entertainer and we highly recommend him! read more

The Great Zucchini is awesome. He always does very amazing shows and tricks the kid adore him and we have been to half a dozen of shows or more there is never a dull moment . He always arrives early in a great mood talking to the parents and he is def gifted and talented with the children . He has a natural ability with the children not only as a talented and gifted children performer but also a very friendly and personable guy. It is amazing how the children eyes light up with amazement and the children's laughter is so amazing how he can keep the attention of a full room of preschoolers which is def not a easy task we try to go to many shows as we can at jamming java on thur mornings . He is really the most down to earth performer I ever met he really cares about the children and he even knows the regulars by name !!!! He is so laid back and relax has tons of patience with the kids The tricks are always exciting and so amazing !! His show is a must see for all kids the best performer in the area and to me the only performer for kids that I would take them to see !!!! read more

As a local pre-school teacher in the DC area, I have seen The Great Zucchini perform many times. He has donated to our school auction, and has performed at our school repeatedly over the past 10 years. He is always on time (early even), friendly, and professional. But what gets me every time, is how he connects with the children. The Great Zucchini recently came to perform at my school, and I was instantly reminded of why he is so successful in his business. Within minutes, he had a room full of 40-50 3,4 and 5 year olds, completely under his control. One minute the kids are up and dancing, jumping around and laughing like hyenas, and the next, they are sitting "criss cross apple sauce", waiting with baited breath for his next instruction or gag. The other thing that is so amazing about The Great Zucchini is how he makes the children feel. I have seen the most shy, withdrawn children, instantly filled with confidence. By making himself the "butt" of the joke, he gives the children a sense of control and power, he truly gets how the young mind works! read more

Addicted It all started when my 2 yr old saw him at the Washingtonian Rio. I didn't think this goofball looked like much and my son have me a look like "why are we stopping?" but the kids all jostled for the best position to get picked to help in what turned out to be almost a variety show feel good show. And the ages ranged from 2 to 9. The great zucchini does a wonderful job of trying to include every child by randomly getting about 20 different kids on stage but when the crowds at his shows can be as many as 500!, you won't always get a turn. Well, this first show turned my son & I into junkies, following the great zucchini to any show we would hear about & were overjoyed when someone had his show at their birthday party. So much so, we had him at our 3rd birthday party & while he can come off gruff & have definite demands, it's all for good reason: so the kids get the best possible show! And they did and so did all the adults. I highly recommend this guy for any young person. Good, clean fun! read more

We are HUGE fans of The Great Zucchini and have been ever since our sons were toddlers (they are now 8 and 10). There was a time when it seemed there wasn't a public show of his we missed - even had me driving to Vienna to watch him at Jammin' Java. The laughter is contagious and our sons just idolize him. Even now that they are older and have "figured" him out, they adore him and he continues to make them laugh when we do get the chance to see him perform. He really is one in a million and has a heart of gold and a unique way with kids of all ages. There was about a 4 year span where I would consider us to have been Great Zucchini Groupies! I have recommended him to several people over the years and even sent him out to my niece's birthday party in Gainesville a few years ago, where all of the guests were 1st time Zucchini party-goers and seeing the reaction and belly aching laughter of those children was priceless. We really can't recommend him enough - he is a local gem! read more

The Great Zucchini was the best! We hired him for our son's 6 year old birthday party at our home. The audience was 25 or so 4-6 year olds. The Great Zucchini was masterful in his ability to connect with the kids; hold their attention with age-appropriate jokes, tricks, and antics; and integrate not only our son throughout the show but also other children. He made them the stars as much as he was a star himself. It was a collaboration of FUN! Most parents stayed for the show and all who did enjoyed it. The Great Zucchini is chill and funny, while also teaching kids to be respectful of their neighbors, to focus on direction, and to enjoy the impossible magic trick. I would highly recommend him, recognizing that you'll need to book much earlier than you'd think because of others who want to book his time. At our party, he was mobbed by parents who plan to use him for their events. He was truly extraordinary in making our son's birthday party exceptional. read more

The Great Zucchini has generously shared his talents and services pro-bono with our community and organization here at the Workhouse Arts Foundation and its Ceramics program, for over the past 5 years during our annual Ice Cream Social Fundraiser. The Great Zucchini's performance is another wonderful distraction from the Washington area day to day and is the highlight of our community fundraising event every year. The Great Zucchini easily connects with every one of the kids in the audience and is able to get even the extremely shy child to participate. The energy, interpersonal skills exhibited and intuitive ability to connect with every child (and adult),and get them to laugh-is absolutely refreshing and wonderful. We look forward to having the Great Zucchini back every year for our annual fundraiser. Dale Marhanka-Ceramics and Glass Director Workhouse Arts Center-Lorton, VA read more

We've been seeing the Great Zucchini for about seven years with our three children. No one, and I mean no one makes kid laugh like he does. My children cannot contain their excitement when it's time to go to one of his shows or they are invited to a birthday party where he is performing. He's also a really nice guy. After one show my 6 year old son told the Great Zucchini how much he liked his coloring book trick. Guess what? He gave my son the coloring book and showed him how to do the trick! He is also just fabulous with my daughter who has special needs and I've heard the same from other parents of children with special needs. The Great Zucchini is also a regular at fundraisers for causes big and small always donating his highly in-demand time. You can't go wrong with seeing the Great Zucchini at one of his public shows or hiring him for a birthday party. read more

We've seen GZ several times through the years- at Jammin Java, Celebrate Fairfax, mall events, etc. His silly, juvenile humor speaks directly to the preschool set- my kids (ages 3 and 6) LOVE him. Needless to say, it was a "big win" booking him for my son's 4th birthday party, which included 16 kids under the age of six. Be sure to book EARLY, as he's a very busy guy! All the Great Zuchinni has to say is "criss cross applesauce" and every child is seated, listening and waiting to be entertained. Eric has a lot of audience participation which the kids (and parents) love. The kids found the entire show hysterical and laughed nonstop, even the shy ones (like my little birthday boy). I could not have asked for a better performer. I also booked a sensational face painter and balloon artist directly through GZ- I cannot recommend them enough! read more

The Great Zucchini performed at my son's 5th birthday party this weekend - he was absolutely hilarious!!! I have never in my life seen a group of kids laugh so hard for so long! He had a group of 27 four and five-year-olds totally mesmerized, engaged, and hysterical. As an adult, I was laughing out loud too. He has a wonderful way of interacting with young children and I liked how he asked many of the kids to come up and help him with tricks. He even took them outside to our yard at the end to play games since it was warm outside. Our family had never seen him perform before and his level of entertainment exceeded our expectations. I would highly recommend The Great Zucchini to all our friends. He's also a super nice guy! Thank you TGZ for making the party so special and one we will always remember. read more

We found The Great Zucchini (aka Eric) for our son's 5th birthday through a google search for 'kids entertainers' and, wow! We were not disappointed!! He was a hit with the kids and parents alike. We only had about 8 kids present and a pretty small space for the show, and so we were a bit worried about how it would go over but our concerns were totally unfounded. The kids were completed engaged throughout and screaming with laughter! He even managed to get our son--who is pretty introverted and shy--to go up front and help him with some really cool tricks. The next day we asked our son what was the favorite part of his birthday, and he replied without hesitation: "The Great Zucchini!" As an added bonus, Eric is a super personable guy and easy to work with. Highly, highly recommend!! read more

My kids absolutely adore The Great Zucchini. We first saw him three years ago, and my then-3yo son laughed like I had never seen. Since then, we've seen him at public shows, birthday parties and brought him to the elementary school a few times. The effects last for days, as the kids will recap their favorite gags, repeat his jokes and crack themselves up. The Great Zucchini is the silliest, goofiest entertainer, perfect for kids. He is completely committed to making them laugh. I have a blast just watching them enjoy themselves SO MUCH. My now-6yo agrees: "He's my favorite. I like to go see The Great Zucchini because sometimes he pretends he makes things disappear but really it's just in his shirt. He also has lots of funny magic tricks." read more

Amazing! Mr. Zucchini was extremely patient and accommodating when it came to dealing with my neurotic behavior and gazillion emails. Most importantly he was non stop laughter and entertainment for the 15 kids in my house. Ages 3.5 - 6. He was truly a delight and I really loved how he handled the crowd. Very upfront and not afraid to tell the parents to leave the room if they were disruptive. I really appreciated this because I paid for the children to be happy and enjoy his show. He more than honored his commitment and promise of delivering an excellent show for the kids. All the parents enjoyed watching their little ones interact and laugh so hard. Thank you again for, as my son tells me, 'the best birthday ever!' read more

The Great Zucchini is awesome. He always does very amazing shows and magic tricks for the children . The children adore him and we have been to half a dozen of shows .There is never a dull moment . He always arrives early in a great mood talking to the parents and he is def gifted and talented with the children . He has a natural ability with the children, not only as a talented and gifted children performer . It is amazing how the children eyes light up with amazement. The children's laughter is so amazing and also how he can keep the attention of a full room of preschoolers which is def not a easy task we try to go to many shows as we can at jamming java on Thursday mornings . read more

Okay, believe the hype, The Great Zucchini is amazing. We booked him for our 4 year olds birthday party. I had not seen him, but went off the awesome reviews I read. I booked three months ahead and he was great at maintaining contact. Fast forward to the day of the event, he arrived, quickly set up and it was on. The kids LOVED him. I'm taking belly laughs from his first act. The adults enjoyed him too. He wrapped up and hung around a bit to mingle with the adults. I would 10,000% recommend him for an event entertaining kids 3-6 years olds. The parents kept asking me how I found him. Seriously, you can't go wrong. read more

My son has been a fan of the great Zucchini since he was 18 months old. We have seen him at a few different venues including Jammin' Java and the RIO. However, nothing topped having him at his Birthday party this weekend. My son is now 3 and for 2 months he has been telling everybody that "The Great Zucchini is coming to my Birthday" He was great at keeping 20 toddlers not only entertained by literally rolling around laughing! My son laughed so much he peed his pants....literally! He is great with the kids and great with parents and I would have him at any event where toddlers are involved. read more

You absolutely must book The Great Zucchini for a birthday party or any event involving children. He is fantastic and his shows are hilarious and over the top entertaining for kids. Parents are laughing just as hard as the children are! Nothing makes me happier than seeing my kids having the time of their life! He engages each child during the show and even plays additional games with them outside. I booked him for two of my children over the years and am looking forward to having him back one day for our youngest child. By far the best party entertainer around! read more

The Great Zucchini is awesome for little kids. He just entertained kids from 2 to 7 years old at a party I had for my son's third birthday. My son had an awesome time and he did such a great job incorporating so many of the kids into the act and having some special tricks for my son to get involved in as the birthday boy. It rare to find someone that can keep kids entertained and laughing for so long! After the show he took the kids outside and played some games in the yard with them too. They all had a wonderful time and the adults even were laughing. read more

We loved the Great Zucchini! I saw him at a birthday party 3 years ago and remembered his show and his catchy name! So I booked him for my 6 year old daughter's birthday party with 30 kids ranging from 4-7 years old. He not only held their attention for 45 minutes, he had them laughing throughout the entire show. Even the parents were laughing and quite entertained. It was a very interactive show, lots of props, and appropriate humor for children. Book early because he is very popular and my party would have just been another party without him! read more