2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival featuring Circus arts!

The Imperial OPA Circus has been invited to be part of the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival (SFF)!

(Here is a link to the festival:  http://www.festival.si.edu/2017/circus-arts/smithsonian ).

Marketing it 50th anniversary in 2017, The Smithsonian Folklife Festival will feature for the first time,  Circus Arts in America!  For 14 days over 1 million people will come to learn about Circus arts at the national Mall in Washington DC. The Imperial OPA Circus has been invited to be one of the 20 presenting companies to represent modern circus in America. This event can help shape the future of Circus Arts in America.

This historic event in DC filled with free circus shows, circus classes for guests taught by professionals, and hearing tails of the Circus world, but their is more!  Their will be a workshop day with The National Endowment of the Arts (NEA). In this conversation with the NEA, together we will help establish what is needed to make Circus more robust across America and elevated to a national art!

The Circus of Atlanta, The Imperial OPA

We are also thrilled to announce that our founder and Ringmaster Tim Mack, will be a Ringmaster at this event along side legionary performers of circus. He will announcing acts on the Ralph Rinzler Stage. (*Side note Ralph Rinzler was a mandolin player, folksinger, and the co-founder of the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival). This stage will host troops and performing artists threw-out the day for the length of the event.

Beyond this, on Friday the 30th and Friday the 7th before the stage comes alive with performers,  Tim will be helping with the Naturalization Ceremonies for new U.S. citizens at the Ralph Rinzler Stage. All just fantastic.