Free Events Sept. 5–7 at the Arts and Industries Building and National Museum of American History Feature Live Performances and Family Fun
The Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage will host a free Labor Day weekend pop-up program, Saturday, Sept. 5–Monday, Sept. 7, celebrating the artistry, innovation and hard work behind one of America’s most beloved forms of entertainment: the circus. From aerial performances and costume making to hands-on demonstrations, visitors of all ages will discover the people, skills and traditions that bring the American circus to life.
Last seen in Washington, D.C., as part of the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s “Circus Arts” program, the Sarasota, Florida-based Circus Arts Conservatory and its acclaimed youth training program Sailor Circus return to the Smithsonian. “Artistry, Education, and Labor of Circus Arts” is a three-day pop-up program focused on the work and labor behind one of America’s most enduring performance traditions.
Visitors can enjoy performances, demonstrations and interactive experiences throughout the weekend at the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building (unless otherwise noted), including:
- Live performances by professional circus artists and Sailor Circus Academy students three times a day
- Panel discussions and storytelling with performers, producers and technicians
- A life-sized Rube Goldberg-style circus science machine
- Behind-the-scenes looks at aerial rigging, juggling and other circus techniques
- Stilt walkers and hands-on activities for visitors of all ages
- Live costume-making demonstrations
- A special clown workshop on Monday at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
As the nation reflects on 250 years of U.S. history, the program highlights a uniquely American art form and the people who sustain it. Visitors can explore the creativity, skill and labor behind the circus, from performers under the big top to the craftspeople, technicians and educators who make it all possible.
The Labor Day weekend pop-up is part of the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage’s “Culture of, by, and for the People,” which examines the cultural traditions, practices and communities that have shaped the U.S. over the past 250 years.
Event Information
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 5–Monday, Sept. 7
Time: 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Arrival: Visitors can enter through the North Doors on Jefferson Drive on the National Mall side of the building.
Primary location: Arts and Industries Building, 900 Jefferson Dr. S.W.
Admission: Free; no tickets or registration required.
All activities are in the Arts & Industries Building unless otherwise noted.
Saturday, Sept. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 6
10 a.m.–6 p.m.: Ongoing demonstrations in the Arts & Industries Building’s North Hall
- Hands-on hula-hoop demonstrations
- Hands-on juggling demonstrations
- Colossal rolling ball demonstrations
- Circus costume demonstrations
- Make and take circus ribbons
- Circus artists and gymnasts use ribbons while performing to help create movement and magic. Participants can make their own circus ribbons, then think of ways to move in the space.
- Rigging demonstrations
- Participants can learn about the backstage business of a professional rig and how it keeps performers safe.
- Machine demonstrations
- How can a huge circus tent be raised by just a few people? Simple machines. How can a circus performer be thrown, transported or shot across the tent? Simple machines. Performers will demonstrate how pulleys make pulling something three times someone’s weight easy and how the teeterboard transfers energy from one end to the other to make a circus person fly.
- Circus poster-making station
- Circus posters are full of bombastic promises and words to entice the public to see the show. Visitors will learn about the language of the circus and make their own spectacular sayings.
Saturday–Sunday Schedule:
10–10:30 a.m.: Stories and Q&A with Circus Arts Conservatory’s founder
10:45–11:10 a.m.: Sailor Circus Academy performance
11:15–11:25 a.m.: Sailor Circus Academy talkback
11:30 a.m.–12 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professional Troupe performance
12–12:10 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professionals talkback
12:30–1 p.m.: Stories and Q&A with Circus Arts Conservatory’s CEO
1–1:25 p.m.: Sailor Circus Academy performance
1:30–1:40 p.m.: Sailor Circus Academy talkback
1:45–2:15 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professional Troupe performance
2:15–2:25 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professionals talkback
2:45–3:15 p.m.: The Art of Clowning performance
3:30–3:55 p.m.: Sailor Circus Academy performance
4–4:10 p.m.: Sailor Circus Academy talkback
4:15–4:45 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professional Troupe performance
4:45–4:55 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professionals talkback
Monday, Sept. 7
10 a.m.–6 p.m.: Ongoing demonstrations in the Arts & Industries Building’s North Hall
- Hands-on hula-hoop demonstrations
- Hands-on juggling demonstrations
- Colossal rolling ball demonstrations
- Circus costume demonstrations
- Make and take circus ribbons
- Circus artists and gymnasts use ribbons while performing to help create movement and magic. Visitors can make their own circus ribbons, then think of ways to move in the space.
- Rigging demonstrations
- Participants can learn about the backstage business of a professional rig and how it keeps performers safe.
- Machine demonstrations
- How can a huge circus tent be raised by just a few people? Simple machines. How can a circus performer be thrown, transported or shot across the tent? Simple machines. Performers will demonstrate how pulleys make pulling something three times someone’s weight easy and how the teeterboard transfers energy from one end to the other to make a circus person fly.
- Circus poster-making station
- Circus posters are full of bombastic promises and words to entice the public to see the show. Visitors will learn about the language of the circus and make their own spectacular sayings.
Monday’s Schedule:
10–10:30 a.m.: Stories and Q&A with Circus Arts Conservatory’s founder
10:45–11:10 a.m.: Sailor Circus Academy performance
11–11:45 a.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory: Education Outreach with Clowns performance (National Museum of American History’s Wallace H. Coulter Plaza)
11:15–11:25 a.m.: Sailor Circus Academy Talkback
11:30 a.m.–12 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professional Troupe performance
12–12:10 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professionals talkback
12:30–1 p.m.: Stories and Q&A with Circus Arts Conservatory’s CEO
1–1:45 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory: Education Outreach with Clowns performance (National Museum of American History’s Wallace H. Coulter Plaza)
1–1:25 p.m.: Sailor Circus Academy performance
1:30–1:40 p.m.: Sailor Circus Academy talkback
1:45–2:15 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professional Troupe performance
2:15–2:25 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professionals talkback
2:45–3:15 p.m.: The Art of Clowning performance
3–3:45 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory: Education Outreach with Clowns performance (National Museum of American History’s Wallace H. Coulter Plaza)
3:30–3:55 p.m.: Sailor Circus Academy performance
4–4:10 p.m.: Sailor Circus Academy talkback
4:15–4:45 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professional Troupe performance
4:45–4:55 p.m.: Circus Arts Conservatory Professionals talkback