Party hosts put emphasis on interactive play

In the age of flashy thrills and video games, Keyla Tonner—owner of Event Land in Magnolia—is finding new ways to inspire wonder in children. Offering trackless train rides that seat 24, an island populated by rabbits and the opportunity to interact with a variety of animals, her party hosting business offers an experience that cannot be reproduced.

Tonner, who grew up in Venezuela, moved to the United States 12 years ago. After moving to the Magnolia area with her family in September 2010, she went to work designing and building a fantasy party land. The inspiration, she said, came from Venezuelan culture, where families celebrate a child's birthday with an extravagant party.

"When my daughter turned 16, I couldn't find any place where I could have parties like the ones I was accustomed to," she said. "I hate places where there is no interaction between kids and family. I wanted to do something where the whole family could celebrate."

Tonner, who is an architect by trade, said she enjoys building and remodeling. She also emphasized Event Land's focus on being outdoors.

"I wanted to be in the countryside where the children could interact with nature," she said. "Then I found this little house with this beautiful land, and I knew it was the right place."

In addition to a petting zoo and train rides, Event Land also offers bounce houses, a pool and pavilion, and indoor party and play rooms.

The house itself is large and uses Victorian architectural concepts, making it well-suited for the fantasy world that Tonner is trying to create. A green slide has been installed in the side of the home. Children can jump in from the second floor balcony and ride down to land outside. The party rooms feature a play castle and boat and paintings of jungle and island settings along the walls.

New activities are being added to Event Land's inventory all the time, such as karaoke and Zumba, a Colombian dance fitness program. Tonner introduced canvas painting to a group of children during a recent party only to find them so engrossed with the activity that they did not want to do anything else, she said.

Event Land offers day passes from Tuesday through Friday and hosts parties on the weekends. Each party is customized to fit the child's interest. Decoration packages allow Tonner to transform each room into a different world. Themes include princess, Star Wars and race cars among many others.

"It's their party," she said. "They tell me exactly what they want and we do it."

Future additions

While owner Keyla Tonner does not have a timetable laid out, she has several additions and improvements planned for Event Land on her to-do list.

• A miniature golf course will be installed in an open area in the back
• A bridge will be put in over the moat connecting to the rabbit island from the rest of the park. Tonner also wants to install a cement bottom in the moat making it easier to maintain.
• Tonner hopes to open an outdoor cafeteria which will offer food to children and their parents during events. The menu would potentially include hotdogs and a variety of sandwiches, among other items, she said.

Fun features

• 4 party rooms
• 6 animals in petting zoo
• 1 pool
• 6 cars on the trackless train
• 20-plus party themes
• 3.5 acres
• 2 rabbit houses
• 4 slides

Event Land, 8811 West Lane, Magnolia, 281-259-2904, www.event-land.com