Categories: Things To Do

Edmonton’s French Quarter is being taken over by circus performers and acrobats this weekend

Photo via Holubtsov Vitalii/Shutterstock

Alberta Circus Arts Festival is this week, which means Edmonton’s French Quarter is going to be filled with jaw-dropping performances and endless family-friendly fun.

With this festival taking over the city, you can come outside and learn to juggle, walk on stilts, and mingle on the patio with artists from around the world. Not to mention, you can see intimate contemporary circus performances that you won’t find anywhere else. According to the festival, it’s like seeing Cirque du Soleil in your living room.

There are free events, exclusive shows, workshops, and so many more activities to participate in. And, honestly? You won’t find anything else in the city that’s even remotely doing the same thing.

What to expect

A lot is taking place from June 18 to 21, so we’re going to outline some of the great events you can be a part of during the fest.

On Friday, June 19, there’s going to be a circus happy hour at Café Bicyclette. This free interactive experience will feature performances by Demetrius Kuc, Yuki Ueda and Jeff Olynek, as well as so much more. You can try your hand at juggling or Japanese paper cone balancing, schmooze with local and international circus artists, and soak up the good vibes.

During this event, there will be a free Object Balancing Workshop from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. Here, you can discover the art of stillness in motion as you learn to keep objects upright through focus, balance, and subtle control. It’s a cool and unique introduction to circus arts, perfect for all folks wanting to try their hand at it.

The following Saturday, June 20, and Sunday, June 21, there will also be more free workshops, this time for stilt walking and juggling. For stilt walking, professional artists and instructors from the National Stilt Walkers of Canada will be on hand to show you how it is done. As for juggling, you’ll be taught by the local Edmonton Juggling Club pros.

For a full list of all the amazing workshops and shows you can watch during this festival, check out the Alberta Circus Arts Festival website. There are so many ways to support this art form, so don’t hesitate to check it out this weekend and give it a shot yourself.

Who knows, maybe you’ll run off to join the circus yourself!