The circus is back in town — Fern Street Circus that is.
The arts organization is kicking off its annual Neighborhood Tour with 10 public, bilingual performances at community parks and rec centers around San Diego.
Catalina Paz, or “Abuelita,” is the show’s creator and director.
“We're going to have juggling, unicycle, breakdancing — we're going to have a Cyr wheel, we're going to have contortion,” Paz said.
The shows also include young students from Fern Street Circus’s free after-school program in City Heights and elementary school residency programs in Imperial Beach.
“I do acrobatics, flexibility and some juggling,” said fifth-grader Isabella Estrada.
She’s been in the program for three years and is one of the stars of this year’s show.
“It's fun because you can express who you are and be yourself and motivate people to actually get out of the bubble and be themselves,” Estrada said.
From mid-city to San Ysidro, the events will showcase professional circus artists and musicians from around the world.
The Neighborhood Tour also offers free community health fairs and pre-show mariachi concerts.
Fern Street Circus General Manager and City Heights resident Marcela Mercado stumbled upon the organization eight years ago.
“It was really magical when I saw the kids laughing and enjoying themselves, and I was like I want my kids to feel the same way, so we decided to join,” said the mother of three.
After more than 30 years in San Diego, this year’s show called “Home” has an extra special meaning.
Fern Street Circus recently moved into its first-ever dedicated indoor space at the former Central Elementary School building in City Heights.
“This is the first time the circus has an actual physical space that we can call home. So that’s why we're so excited to be part of this building and have an indoor space,” Mercado said.
While the events can explore more serious subjects, the main goal is to laugh and have some stress-free fun.
“We forget about play time! And playtime is for everybody,” Paz said excitedly, in character. “For kids, for adults, for senior citizens like me, even for your pets — for everybody!”
The circus performances take place at 2 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday through May 5 — rain or shine, thanks to their new indoor home.
For those looking to clown around, more information is available at fernstreetcircus.com.
