A circus of sorts is coming to town
Buskers Festival highlights features acrobats and other thrilling feats
Most of the regular buskers in downtown St. John’s are musicians, but the Buskers Festival coming to downtown St. John’s from Aug. 3-5, featuring international and local performers, will
focus on acrobats and other performers.
“It’s not stuff you typically see around,” says Gaylynne Lambert of Downtown St. John’s, the organization putting off the festival.
Lambert says there many music festivals around the city this time of year, and they wanted to provide something different. The festival will include comedy, death-defying feats, magic, and circus acts.
Performances will run each hour from 12 noon to 10 p.m. on three stages: Water Street east at Solomon’s Lane, 235 Water St., and Water Street east across from the War Memorial.
Lambert said the festival is gender inclusive, featuring a mix of interesting performers.
Each one will give up to four shows each day, depending on how physically taxing their act is. All of the performances are free, and audience members are able to pay performers what they wish if they liked the show.
“Every year it’s pretty fun,” says Lambert.
In previous years, upwards of 25,000 people have attended the festival over the three days. In addition to scheduled performances, there will be spaces for Dan and Kim Craig perform at the 2017 Buskers Festival. Downtown St. John’s makes an effort to have gender diversity among their performers.
vendors, face painting, balloon animals and living statues.
Water Street will remain open to traffic and parking during the Buskers Festival to help downtown businesses benefit from the influx of people.
As for the possibility for bad weather? “It’s on with the show,” Lambert said.
If conditions are not favourable, there will be an indoor location for performances, likely to be Atlantic Place.
A list of performers is expected to be posted on www.downtownstjohns.com today.