This is an article written by Tru Anderson with Decatur Daily.
What began as a dream for a 16-year-old Decatur theater student has grown into a business that has spent the past decade bringing princesses, superheroes and storybook characters to life for children across north Alabama.
Magical Memories owner Keilee Terry founded the business on July 10, 2016, with a mission of creating memorable experiences for children who may never have the opportunity to meet their favorite characters elsewhere.
Over the past decade, Terry and her cast have partnered with organizations including Decatur Youth Services, the Decatur Public Library, Decatur Fire & Rescue’s special needs events, CASA of North Alabama, Community Action Partnership of North Alabama, Spectrum Moms, Decatur Parks and Recreation and others. The business also provides character appearances for birthday parties and other celebrations.
Library Youth Services Manager Zoie Hornish said Terry leads a free character story time for children.
“I think (Magical Memories) does a fantastic job,” Hornish said. “They bring characters that the kids know to life and are associating them with books which is awesome. The kids know these characters from their favorite shows or movies and then to see them in person is such a huge deal for them.”
Terry said her company exists to bring joy to children.
“My main mission has always been and will always be to bring magic to children in our community,” Terry said. “Volunteering and giving back to the community is at the heart of everything that we do. There are so many children who absolutely adore Disney characters, superheroes and book characters and will never have the opportunity to go to Disney, so I want to bring that magic to them here in north Alabama.”
As the business has grown, so has the quality of its costumes and performances. What began with basic outfits has evolved into custom-designed costumes that can take months to produce, along with professionally styled wigs and detailed makeup designed to match each character.
Magical Memories now features more than 70 characters and also creates additional characters upon request. The roster includes superheroes, Disney princesses, television characters and storybook favorites.
One thing that has not changed is which characters are most popular. Elsa has remained the company’s most requested character since 2016, and Terry expects that popularity to continue with the release of “Frozen III” next year.
Terry said she also has favorite characters to portray.
“Elsa, of course, will always be very special to me. I love Cinderella and Aurora because one of my favorite designers made those dresses for me. I love Merida for her spunk and Scottish accent, but one of my favorites is Ariel because that was my favorite princess growing up and it’s so beautiful and full circle to get to play a character that I loved so very much as a child.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when many businesses temporarily shut down in 2020, Magical Memories adapted its offerings to continue reaching children.
Terry hosted story times on Facebook Live while in costume, virtual birthday parties on Zoom, online educational classes, baking classes, ballet classes, crafting classes, character events and personalized video messages. The business also offered seasonal activities, including a Halloween dance party, Christmas cookie baking, Valentine’s Day and Easter celebrations, Mother’s Day crafts and other virtual events.
Those efforts reached children in countries including Canada, Germany, England and India.
Long before launching the business, Terry developed a love for performing through local community theater productions. She participated in Dream Weavers, College Street Players, Curtain Lights Theatre Company and Bank Street Players from kindergarten through ninth grade.
Those experiences shaped her passion for performing and inspired her to create memorable experiences for children.
Terry said the idea for Magical Memories began after she volunteered as Elsa at a March of Dimes event.
“I loved embodying the character, putting on the costumes and becoming someone completely different than myself,” Terry said. “I had incredible directors throughout the years including Mickey Johnson, Dena Nagel, Carol Puckett and more who helped me grow as a performer and encouraged me to pursue my passion of performing. I also grew up with incredible mentors, like (the late) Judge David Breland who taught me about Decatur and shared his love of this community with me. He was such an encouragement to me, believing in my dreams, offering advice and encouraging me to invest in the community.”
Terry also credits her mother with helping make the business possible.
“My mom has always been my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. When I was 16, I told her I wanted to start my own business. Without hesitation, she believed in me and invested in my dream. She has always encouraged me while also helping me grow, and that has been one of the greatest gifts.”
Over the years, Terry has accumulated countless meaningful moments, but she said the most rewarding come when children see their favorite characters come to life.
Terry said seeing children’s faces light up when they meet a beloved princess or superhero continues to make the hours spent preparing costumes, styling wigs and planning performances worthwhile.
“One thing I have absolutely loved the most about this journey over the last decade is how many families I feel like I am a part of,” Terry said. “There are so many families who get different characters year after year and I get to see their once little 3-year-olds grow into teenagers. There are the families in the community who come to every event that we have, whose children see the characters as their best friends because they have been with them for so many years. The sense of community and family has been so incredible over the decade.”
As Magical Memories marks its 10th anniversary, Terry said family, mentors, fellow performers and the north Alabama community have made the business successful.
“As I reflect on the last decade, I’m incredibly grateful,” Terry said. “… The last 10 years have truly been filled with Magical Memories.”
