Balloons + Blooms has been helping to celebrate ribbon cuttings at the mall for quite some time by lending their talents to create balloon towers and archways to add to the excitement. On April 6, 2026 it was their turn to be celebrated with balloons and a ribbon cutting held by the Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce.
Owner, florist, and balloon artist Dawn Haren started Balloons + Blooms from her home after wanting a change for her career.
“I was a hairdresser for 19 years. I lost my mom suddenly out of nowhere. She was a florist when I was a kid. I ended up doing her funeral flowers, my sisters and I and it was such a therapeutic, special moment and we were doing it for our mom,” explained Haren. “I came home, and I said, life is too short. I want to do something different, and it’s not about the money and my husband said, you can do whatever you want – just only have one job. So I started doing flowers. And the balloon thing popped up everywhere and I was like, oh, I can do balloons, too. But balloons took off. So flowers had to go on the back burner. But so that’s why now that I have the space, and now I can have an employee, I can do it all.”
Having a physical location outside the home is a huge step that is playing a big role in the growth of Balloons + Blooms.
“Now that I have a physical space, I’m really excited because I can have the community come in. And like this Friday, I’m doing a workshop with 12 ladies, and we’re going to make an arrangement. And I can have little get-togethers. And it’s just I couldn’t do that at my house,” said Haren.
Colony Square Mall General Manager Jessica Brailer was at the ribbon cutting ceremony to support this milestone for the mall’s newest business.
“Well, this has been a big blessing and very exciting because Dawn and I have built a friendship, you know, on the personal level but also the business side. So, I’m very happy for her. She’s such a hard worker. She’s so creative. She pours so much into everything that she does,” said Brailer. And a lot of times I call her or text her like last minute and say, I have something coming up this weekend, what can you do? And she always has so many things in stock and then she can whip something up so quickly and it just feels so special and so tailored. And I just love working with her for different things. I feel the floral side and the blooms are just gorgeous, very unique, really set an event apart and make it really special. They provide the centerpiece for a backdrop where people are getting pictures, which that’s something that you’re going to cherish a lot. So, she puts a lot of care and effort into that. And then she’s even helping with some things that aren’t necessarily blooms or flowers. She does special backdrop pieces, too. For back to school, she made a giant notebook out of foam board. So, she really goes a step above everything. So, I’m just really happy for her to have been able to expand to this level. And then it’s going to be a lot more convenient for her and her customers. So, it’s a win-win.”
In addition to working with the mall, Balloons + Blooms has had the opportunity to work with Kellogg’s, Shrivers Hospice, Chatty Cat Cafe, and Lepi & Associates, to name a few businesses. Of course, orders for private parties celebrating special milestones like graduation, a baby shower, or a birthday are always requested.
For prom the shop will be open certain days for girls to come in and make their own bouquet using fresh flowers, and then for the week of Mother’s Day, preorders will be accepted for different arrangements.
“I plan to have special arrangements made up every week, where customers can walk in and pick out what they want. Or I will have a bloom bar where it’s just the stems, and they can tell me what they like, and I can put it together for them, and they can help me if they’d like. I think it’s really neat to do something different, and how cool to make a gift with the florist to give to someone. It just makes it more special. So I plan on having fresh bouquets and based arrangements ready to go.”
The business is located in the Colony Square Mall, 3575 Maple Avenue, Suite 310A, and is accessible by an outdoor entrance positioned between Shoe Carnival and JCPenney. Retail hours are Thursdays 4 to 7, Fridays 9 to 2, and Saturdays 10 to 2. An outdoor self-serve stand was recently incorporated to provide floral bouquets even when the shop is not open.
For more information about Balloons + Blooms, visit balloonsandbloom.com or follow them on Facebook.
