Experience the great traditions of American entertainment with real live sideshow feats! Bindlestiff Family Cirkus has traveled the world bringing its unique hybrid of vaudeville, circus and sideshow spectacle to communities far and wide.
With Dynamic Trio, three multi-skilled artists perform dazzling juggling displays, interactive audience participation, gut-busting comedy and edge-of-your-seat daredevil feats, including a live sword swallower. These world-class performers can also be found on stage in productions by Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers and on Broadway. Whether you’re a child or a child at heart, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Dynamic Trio offers fun for the whole family!
Event: Spring Festival
Date: May 16, 2026
Location:
Phil “Scooter” Rizzuto Park
127th St & 95th Ave
Queens, NY 11419
Event Hours: 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Cirkus Showtime: 2:00 PM
Organizers:
Friends of Phil Rizzuto Smokey Park
Website: www.foprsp.com
Instagram: @foprsny
Presented in partnership with Operation Unite, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, Beautiful Racket, Camphill Triform, and Camphill Copake
Saturday, March 21 at 7pm
Free; reservations recommended
Hudson’s acclaimed integrated theater company Camphill Hudson Players return to Hudson Hall with a brand-new collaborative production full of humor, story, circus arts, music and magic, and Camphill’s signature dance-party energy!
Join The Big Top Group for an unforgettable afternoon celebrating contemporary circus, movement, and theatrical storytelling at one of New York State’s most iconic venues.
World Circus Day brings together nationally recognized artists and regional innovators for a dynamic, multi-generational experience that highlights circus as a vibrant contemporary art form.
Lobby Activations | 3:00 PM
Arrive early to enjoy live music by The Rubin Brothers, alongside roaming performers, and interactive circus arts engagement throughout the lobby. The pre-show environment invites audiences to gather, connect, and enter the theatrical world before the curtain rises.
Featured Performance | 4:00 PM
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus
Founded in 1995, Bindlestiff is a cornerstone of the American contemporary circus movement, blending virtuosic physical skill, classic sideshow traditions, and comedic theatricality into an exuberant variety spectacle.
Special Presentation | 5:15 PM
New York Circus Project — Rapunzel
A 60-minute contemporary circus retelling of this classic fairytale developed during a 12-day Circus Lab residency. Commissioned by The Big Top Group in partnership with Arts Letters & Numbers and Mt. Ida Preservation Association, this staged presentation blends aerial artistry, physical theatre, and dynamic storytelling—offering audiences an exciting first look at a new touring work.
A Thrilling Journey into America’s Sideshow Legacy
Over the past two decades, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus has toured off-Broadway, nationally, and internationally. This captivating performance explores the roots of classic American entertainment through jaw-dropping spectacles and sideshow acts performed live on stage. Audiences will witness daring feats from a cast of acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, sideshow marvels, and vaudevillians–all while learning the cultural history behind these once-popular fairground attractions.
Prepare to be amazed as the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus blend daring spectacle with captivating storytelling. Their high-energy performance not only showcases incredible physical feats but also invites audiences to connect with the rich history of American vaudeville and carnival culture. Every act is a mix of skill, suspense, and humor, making this a must-see event that honors the past while thrilling modern audiences.
This show is part of the Weinberg Center’s LIVE! Series, celebrating iconic music and exceptional musicianship. The Weinberg Center, located in the heart of Downtown Frederick, MD, offers a historic backdrop and excellent acoustics for an unforgettable concert experience.
Run away with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and be home by bedtime!
Join the performers of the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus for a workshop for ages 6 and up. Participants will experience a hands-on introduction to circus props and skills, including juggling with balls, rings, and scarves; diabolos; rhythmic ribbons; bucket stilts and hand-held stilts; lassos and more!
The session includes an icebreaker, a gentle warm-up, and guided exploration of the equipment.
Ages 6 and up are most able to comfortably use the equipment. Under age 6 should have family member, 12 or older, to accompany them. Anyone under 4 is welcome, with a parent or family member. Folks with mobility differences are welcome!
Step into a world of wonder as Bindlestiff Family Cirkus brings its bold, imaginative, and wildly entertaining blend of vaudeville, circus, wild west shows, burlesque, and sideshow to the Wayne Theatre. Since 1995, this acclaimed troupe has traveled the globe, presenting a fresh and contemporary twist on the grand traditions of American Circus.
Co-founded by Stephanie Monseu and Keith Nelson, Bindlestiff has produced more than a dozen off Broadway productions, along with custom shows for special events, family friendly performances, and sophisticated evening productions for adult audiences. Their remarkable dedication to the variety arts has earned them both widespread applause and deep respect within the circus and variety arts community.
With daring talent, comedic flair, and a spirit that celebrates creativity in all its forms, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus delivers an unforgettable experience that delights audiences of every age.
A Contemporary Twist to the Traditions of American Circus!
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus harkens back to the heyday of the traditional American popular entertainment, offering its own contemporary twist. The show features jugglers, acrobats, contortionists, vaudevillian novelty, plate spinning, sword swallowing, and other risk-taking feats combines to create an interactive evening of fun for the entire family.
The Bindlestiff show will feature a variety of superstars and dazzling feats, including a breath-taking chair-stacking and acrobatic act by Ryan Shinji Murray; dizzying hooping and awe-inspiring aerial artistry by Ellie Steingraeber, vaudeville classics like mouthstick-balance and plate spinning by Keth Nelson, and lots of ensemble fun including juggling and other prop manipulation. Surprises abound – unexpected
folks get drawn into the action onstage too! All ages will find something to marvel at.
3:00 pm: Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Performance
4:30 pm: Intro to Juggling Workshop – 60 minutes
This project was supported, in part, by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly.
Celebrating three decades of keeping American traditional circus alive, the legendary Bindlestiff Family Cirkus brings its diverse roster of the world’s finest circus, sideshow, vaudeville, and variety talent.
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus harkens back to the heyday of the traditional American popular entertainment, offering its own contemporary twist. The show features jugglers, acrobats, contortionists, vaudevillian novelty, plate spinning, sword swallowing, and other risk-taking feats to create an interactive evening of fun for
the entire family. It’s earthy, gritty, and celebrates the roots of American popular entertainments like vaudeville, circus, and sideshow, with a mix of world-class skill and odd novelty acts in an engaging and participatory way that you don’t find in other types of circuses.
Since 1995, Bindlestiff has brought the circus arts to every type of stage and audience imaginable. Its shows range from family shows to musical parodies to burlesque Cirkus spectacles. Bindlestiff also has an eye on the future, keeping the variety arts alive via circus arts educational programs and emerging artist support. Bindlestiff has performed around the world including Lincoln Center’s Avery Fischer Hall, Glastonbury Festival, Bonnaroo, Super Giant Carnival in Thailand, and Golden Festival in China. Come one, come all!
This engagement of Bindlestiff Family Cirkus is made possible in part through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus has traveled the world bringing its unique hybrid of vaudeville, circus and sideshow spectacle to communities far and wide. Bindlestiff Family Cirkus harkens back to the earthy and gritty heyday of the traditional American Circus that toured the country by caravan at the turn of the 20th century, while adding the artistic twist of co-founders Stephanie Monseu and Keith Nelson. Join us for an evening of jugglers, plate spinning, sword swallowing, brain twisters and other risk-taking feats in a fun and interactive show perfect for the entire family.
Online visit bit.ly/KulkarniTicketmaster
