The Balloon Man, performs his signature giant balloon routine during an appearance on “The Late Late Show.” Banks will bring his physical comedy act to the Butte County Fair on Friday, Aug. 28, with three performances. Photo courtesy Skip Banks

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Most balloon entertainers twist balloons into animals. Skip Banks takes a different approach. He climbs inside one.

Banks, known as "The Balloon Man," will bring his physical comedy and signature giant balloon routine to the Butte County Fair on Friday, Aug. 28, with performances at 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Known as a "new vaudevillian," Banks combines physical comedy with music, sound effects, props and characters in a fast-moving act designed for audiences of different ages.

His best-known routine, "Loon in the Balloon," starts with an inflatable large enough to swallow the performer.

Once inside, Banks bounces and dances as music plays, turning the oversized balloon into the centerpiece of the routine. The act relies on physical comedy and the unusual sight of a performer disappearing almost completely inside an inflatable.

The routine is one part of a career Banks has built over decades as an entertainer in Southern California.

His performances have taken him beyond fairs and festivals to television, sports arenas, corporate events and international appearances. Banks has performed at major league and college arenas and has taken his act to an assortment of events, including private parties and promotional appearances.

Television audiences may also recognize Banks from appearances on "The Late Late Show," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Maury" and "Penn & Teller," among other programs.

While the balloon routine has become one of his signatures, Banks' act draws from an older style of entertainment. Vaudeville historically relied on variety performances, and Banks uses physical movement, visual gags, music and props rather than building the performance around a traditional stand-up comedy routine.

That approach allows much of the humor to come from what the audience sees, particularly when Banks begins working with the giant balloon.

Banks will also take part in another fair attraction Friday. He is scheduled to appear with Jeremy the Juggler for the Corn Dog Eating Contest at 8:30 p.m. on the Courtyard Stage.

Skip Banks, The Balloon Man, performs at 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, during the Butte County Fair. The fair runs Aug. 27-30.