Magician entertains young and old

Doves were cut in half, a rabbit disappeared and pieces of cloth were turned into an American flag. 
Such were the illusions of magician Mike Prestby during the Blooming Prairie Fourth of July weekend festivities.  
Prestby took the stage at City Park, July 3, as one of the final events of a family-filled Friday of festivities. Kids sat close to the stage on the road, while many parents sat on the sidewalk in lawn chairs and bleachers.  
Prestby’s hour-length show was full of card tricks, illusions and comedy, providing entertainment for kids and adults alike. The audience especially came alive any time kids were asked to join Prestby on stage for a trick.  
“The ultimate goal is to (have) audiences be happy and have fun,” said Prestby after the show, adding that while the venue and cause may change; he keeps his show fairly similar. “If I do a fundraiser show, it is very similar, but it’s 90 minutes and a lot bigger stage production,” said Prestby, whose Blooming Prairie show was tamed down slightly based on length and audience.  
Despite the shorter length, however, Prestby did not disappoint to drop a few jaws with his tricks and nab plenty of laughs from adults and children. After all, Prestby is no novice in the illusion business, as he has been performing tricks since he was a child.  
“I saw a magician when I was eight years old at a Cub Scout banquet,” said Prestby. “I said, ‘I want to do that.’ So, I asked for a magic kit for Christmas, and I got it. I started reading a lot of books, started buying more and more and the rest is history.” 
Prestby gave up the illusion business for a time after starting a family, selling all of the equipment he had acquired over the years.  
“Biggest mistake of my life,” he said, stating that after deciding to reenter the magician business, he would have to purchase all of the equipment once again.  
After layoffs at the juvenile court business Prestby worked with, he decided to take his show on the road full-time.  
“After my position was eliminated, I said, ‘Now is the time for me to do this if I’m going to do it,’ so I said we were going for it.” 
Five years later, Prestby is still going strong, traveling across the Midwest from his home base in Mason City, Iowa. Prestby said he would travel anywhere, by he primarily visits Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota and western Wisconsin.  
He is requested at a variety of events including town festivities, summer reading program events and school assemblies.  
Prestby is also an ordained minister and said he does a lot of gospel magic in churches.  
“It keeps me hopping,” said Prestby.