The Great Surprisal
- Edmonds, WA
- Corporate Entertainment
- 71 Verified Bookings
Traci E. H. said “Wonderful costumes, and perfect dancers. Worked perfectly with our other performers!”
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***Corporate Events are our specialty***
To host the MOST successful Mystery Event, you need a real pro who knows the ins and outs of mystery events, how to solving the party planning, get the whole suspects and investigation going. You need a pro on the case. When you hire me to run your Murder Mystery Event, here's what you'll get... A Murderous Event!
Great work party, though most of the people where uptight at first, John managed to loosen everyone up and we had soo much fun! Happy with how everything turned out!
We had so much fun at our birthday party. John made the game flow constantly and included everyone despite their ability levels. I can't wait for him to come back.
Father Yule was amazing with 8 little boys on Christmas Eve. He was kind, sweet, and the boys loved him.
Santa is always awesome... even during a pandemic when we have to do an online visit. Thank you! Highly recommended... I believe this is our 4th year, looking forward to the next...
Santa was amazing! He was engaging with the kids and parents! He totally made the party. Thank you Santa!
Highly recommended! Santa is amazing with a group of noisy, excitable preschoolers!
Santa was amazing again this year! Customers and employees love him.
Father Yule John stepped in and did an awesome job at our company Christmas party. He took pictures, handed out our corporate gifts to the kiddos, and delivered a jolly portrayal of Santa. I would definitely hire him again for an event! Thanks, Santa (and your helpful Elf) for adding a little extra magic to our event.
He was an awesome santa! Very charismatic, fun, and friendly- would book again. Thank you.
I threw myself a 36th birthday murder mystery party, and John was great!! He was flexible about the headcount since a bunch of people cancelled last minute and showed up late, he setup everything on his own even though I was late, he had a unique game setup that encouraged everyone to mingle and all of my friends really enjoyed themselves! It was the perfect level of difficulty where you felt like you were making progress in solving the murder, but still challenging so it wasn’t obvious at the end. John was professional and fun. It was a very entertaining, and I highly recommend him and his team!!
Santa was awesome again this year! Very friendly and engaging with customers!
I wanted to thank John for coming to our home. We had three very excited girls who had so much fun seeing and visiting with Santa. Santa John was Awesome and was so good with the girls. Thank you.
Santa arrived to the complete shock/surprise of my adult family members who were celebrating our Christmas holiday on December 23 - he brought gifts for everyone (provided to him previously), told some stories, provided many photo ops - all in all, he was wonderful!
This is the third year we’ve had Father Yule visit our daycare! He is professional, warm and jolly, just as you would expect Santa to be!
It was a pleasure working with Father Yule John Rakestraw. He was easy to arrange with and coordinate, and even agreed to provide us with an elf! His team was cooperative and friendly. Father Yule himself was charismatic and fun, which helped families and children loosen up and have fun for their photo-shoot! Thanks for a wonderful event! Would recommend him to others!
Response from Master Detective John Rakestraw:
Thank you Rachel and the whole Equinox Real Estate team for a fantastic Holiday event. You are all on Santa's NICE list. I hope you all have a Jolly Christmas and a brilliant New Year!
Fun experience and well thought out game!
Father Yule John Rakestraw was great! He was an excellent communicator, he showed up early, and the kids loved him!
Response from Master Detective John Rakestraw:
Thank you Nick for a fantastic event and all the brilliant Santa believers. My crew and I wish you all a Jolly Christmas and a happy New Year.
Father Yule John Rakestraw
My boss wasn't happy with his helper though. We were expecting a fun-loving "elf" helper and what we got was a sullen, unfriendly young man who obviously wanted to be anywhere else but at our festivity. My boss asked him why he wasn't taking the pictures that were promised. He replied "I don't think anyone cares." We would definitely ask Father Yule John back, but not his helper.
Response from Master Detective John Rakestraw:
Hello Bonnie,
Though many wonderful pictures were taken by us for you clients. We had a great time with all.
Sorry for the sullen, unfriendly young man that you, your boss and guest experienced. He is a kind and caring person who is my helper, he's there for me and takes the pictures, (though he might not look it, he is special needs, I will have more helpers to make you feel much more welcomed.) I will fill that helper part with another Elf. I hope you have a jolly Holiday and I'm glad that you found my Santa fun and playful with all the wonderful Santa believers that came to your fantastic event.
Very Dynamic and fun. The game was a little complicated but turned out to be a great bonding time for everyone.
Response from Master Detective John Rakestraw:
Thank you Katie and the whole MountVista Homes crew,
My two helpers and I , Master Detective & Santa Claus, had a brilliant time with Luke and the hard working crew you have.
I hope you all have a Jolly Christmas and Merry Holidays to all you,
Father Yule John Rakestraw
541-606-4863
john.rakestraw@gmail.com
http://johnlrakestraw.com/
John delivered everything promised ! We had a great time for my surprise birthday party . This event added to our great kidnapping weekend. Thanks so much !
Another great year for pictures with Santa
This is the second year with Father Yule, “Santa”, and we hope to see him again next year! He has an amazing presence in our home! He posed for photos with our whole preschool class, delivered gifts and answered any questions children had, and was just a friendly and jolly Santa.
Very flexible with timing and last minute happenings. Great feedback from our guests.
We didn't know what to expect but we couldn't have been happier!
Response from Master Detective John Rakestraw:
It was a fantastic visit with all the kids and they made me feel right at home. You have a great Daycare and the best kids in the world.
Lana Cole sent this wonderful note to me earlier...
"Dear Santa,
You made our holiday party simply magical! We didn't know exactly what to expect… But we could not have been happier!
We hope you'll visit us again next year!!!
We hope you and Mrs. Claus have a wonderful holiday with your family!
😁 It was just awesome!
Merry Christmas!!!❤"
We needed a Santa for our event at the last minute, and Father Yule John Rakestraw stepped in and saved the day! He came prepared with stories to read the children, a beautiful Santa costume, and an energetic, jovial demeanor. He danced and sang, told jokes and made the children (and their parents) smile and laugh. Our event was televised and streamed live, and he never missed a beat during the entire two-hour show! We will definitely ask him to return next year!
Father Yule John Rakestraw was a great Santa for our event! The kids loved him!
He was great with the kids (and the adults too!). He offered free photos with anyone who wanted it, and gave out free stickers to the kids. His costume was perfect -- everyone knew exactly who he was! Thank you Father Yule!!
Price Range: $1500 to $5000 for Events
Gig Length: 60 - 300 minutes
Languages: English
Insurance: $4,000,000 - 4 Million Liability Insurance Policy with Abuse & Molestation coverage
Master Detective -
I would love to have a KILLER time with you and your group.
Every Mystery Event is created for you… it’s a unique mystery just for you and your guests. Your own brilliant murderous party that you can have fun playing.
You will find envelopes containing clue cards of the possible suspects, locations, and murder weapons that were involved in the murder. There are also more of these clue cards with fun activities and curses that will help or hinder you finding the true murderer!
Through your investigating genius, you will use the game clue cards that will allow you to interact with other players in different ways. These cards might permit you to see what clues they have and eliminate suspects, murder weapons, and where the murder took place… the room! Each clue card has its own set of rules as described on the card. You may end up with the right clue card from an ALLIANCE card or ELF LAW card to stop all the shady deals. You never know what kind of clue cards you’ll find in the envelopes—but use these cards wisely and you may be the first to discover the solution and solve the murder
Murder is a messy business… let us take care of the mystery details.
I have been doing mystery with many different groups for the last 6 years. Some have been retirement communities, the screen editors union in Hollywood, Adobe, resorts and many others. So, the game can be greatly enjoyed by a wide variety of guests.
Each guest (or suspect) still gets the great fun of a party, costumes, playing a murderer and solving a murder.
Murder Mystery Parties with Master Detective John Rakestraw. Let's have a killer time together. Any size of party works for a mystery... from a few friends & family to huge groups. A fun murderous event for all.
Each Mystery Event is different, we'll go ove the brilliant details for your special party and make sure you have a KILLER time!
December 13, 2024 • 6:30pm - 7:30pm | Corporate Event |
December 07, 2023 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Corporate Event |
July 06, 2022 • 6:30pm - 8:00pm | Birthday Party |
November 23, 2021 • 1:00pm - 2:00pm | Nonprofit Event |
April 21, 2021 • 3:30pm - 7:00pm | Rehearsal for Mystery |
December 24, 2020 • 5:00pm - 5:30pm | Christmas Party |
December 18, 2020 • 1:30pm - 2:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 17, 2020 • 5:00pm - 6:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 24, 2019 • 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
December 20, 2019 • 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 14, 2019 • 7:00pm - 8:30pm | Corporate Event |
December 14, 2019 • 3:00pm - 3:45pm | Christmas Party |
December 14, 2019 • 8:30am - 11:30am | Ruby Receptionists |
December 13, 2019 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 07, 2019 • 11:00am - 3:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
November 15, 2019 • 7:00pm - 10:00pm | Birthday Party |
October 26, 2019 • 8:00pm - 9:00pm | Birthday Party |
September 09, 2019 • 1:00pm - 2:30pm | Dinner Party |
July 20, 2019 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Reunion |
June 07, 2019 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Nonprofit Event |
January 18, 2019 • 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Birthday Party |
January 18, 2019 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Murder Mystery Event - Springfield, Oregon |
December 25, 2018 • 4:30pm - 6:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 24, 2018 • 8:00pm - 8:15pm | House Party |
December 24, 2018 • 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
December 23, 2018 • 5:00pm - 5:15pm | Dinner Party |
December 21, 2018 • 2:00pm - 3:30pm | Christmas Party |
December 17, 2018 • 3:00pm - 6:00pm | Beaverton Family Chiropractic |
December 16, 2018 • 2:00pm - 4:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 15, 2018 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Father Yule Home Visit |
December 15, 2018 • 2:00pm - 4:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 15, 2018 • 9:00am - 12:00pm | Breakfest with Santa, Beaverton Oregon |
December 14, 2018 • 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 14, 2018 • 5:00pm - 7:00pm | Corporate Event |
December 09, 2018 • 6:30pm - 9:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 07, 2018 • 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Holiday Murder Mystery Event |
December 01, 2018 • 2:30pm - 4:30pm | OSU Beaver Store |
June 23, 2018 • 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Birthday Party |
December 24, 2017 • 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Nonprofit Event |
December 23, 2017 • 5:00pm - 9:00pm | Christmas at the Village Green |
December 22, 2017 • 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Christmas Party |
December 17, 2017 • 5:00pm - 9:00pm | Christmas at the Village Green |
December 16, 2017 • 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Holiday Party (Christmas) |
December 16, 2017 • 4:00pm - 6:00pm | "Talk to Santa" TV Show, CCTV Salem. Comcast 22 |
December 10, 2017 • 5:00pm - 9:00pm | Christmas at the Village Green |
December 09, 2017 • 5:00pm - 9:00pm | Christmas at the Village Green |
December 08, 2017 • 5:30pm - 7:00pm | Holiday Party (Christmas) |
December 03, 2017 • 5:00pm - 9:00pm | Christmas at the Village Green |
December 03, 2017 • 10:00am - 1:00pm | Creekside Golf Club, Salem, OR |
December 02, 2017 • 11:00am - 1:30pm | Holiday Party (Christmas) |
November 26, 2017 • 5:00pm - 9:00pm | Christmas at the Village Green |
October 31, 2017 • 6:00pm - 11:00pm | Spooktacular! Facebook LIVE Halloween Party |
September 30, 2017 • 6:30pm - 8:30pm | Wedding Reception |
July 28, 2017 • 2:00pm - 4:00pm | LIVE Online Mystery Event! |
July 17, 2017 • 9:15am - 10:15am | Monday Mystery Madness “Death Takes a Vacation” |
July 10, 2017 • 10:00am - 10:30am | Monday Mystery Madness “What a Kick in the Head” |
July 01, 2017 • 2:00pm - 4:00pm | LIVE Online Mystery Event! “A Wizard Of A Murder” |
June 26, 2017 • 1:00pm - 2:00pm | Monday Mystery Madness |
May 20, 2017 • 1:00pm - 3:00pm | LIVE Online Mystery Event! "Murdered War Ships" |
April 15, 2017 • 3:00pm - 4:30pm | Birthday (Adult) |
December 24, 2016 • 5:30pm - 7:30pm | Papa's Pizza Santa Event |
December 24, 2016 • 4:00pm - 4:30pm | Santa Home Visit - Eugene |
December 23, 2016 • 1:00pm - 1:30pm | Holiday Party (Christmas) |
December 16, 2016 • 4:30pm - 7:00pm | Santa Home Visit - Eugene, OR |
December 10, 2016 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Holiday Party (Christmas) |
December 10, 2016 • 4:00pm - 6:00pm | OSU Bookstore w/Benny |
December 10, 2016 • 3:00pm - 6:00pm | Holiday Party (Christmas) |
December 09, 2016 • 7:00pm - 8:00pm | Home Visit, Eugene, OR |
December 04, 2016 • 9:00am - 12:00pm | Creekside Golf Ciub, Salem, OR |
December 03, 2016 • 2:00pm - 5:00pm | Santa - Naked Winery Holiday Party, Bend, OR. |
November 26, 2016 • 2:00pm - 5:00pm | Naked Winery In Hood River |
November 25, 2016 • 10:00am - 5:00pm | Santa at the Keizer Heritage Museum |
November 19, 2016 • 10:00am - 6:00pm | Santa at the Applegate Theatre Holiday Craft Fair |
October 30, 2016 • 3:00pm - 5:00pm | Halloween Party at the Applegate Theatre |
September 10, 2016 • 10:00am - 4:00pm | Santa at Veneta, Oregon's "Harvest Festival" |
I am influenced by the great Hollywood Murder Mysteries, Detective movies and the smiles and wonderment of those I entertain.
Table, chairs, wall near by and people to entertain!
Chair, Water to drink and a fan to help keep Master Detective John Rakestraw cool and ready for the fun and brilliant show he is going to give you.
Traci E. H. said “Wonderful costumes, and perfect dancers. Worked perfectly with our other performers!”
Erik F. said “We had David over for an adult birthday party and he was AWESOME. He was super funny and incredibly engaging with the group, but most importantly he is…”
Mandy K. said “Spencer's performance was awesome! His tricks, magic and mentalism were so much fun, each one of them unique. He is very professional, showed up…”
Ilan K. said “Joe did a great job at our fundraiser last night! He was extremely professional, and helped us exceed our goal through a live auction and raffle. He was…”