Let’s Clown Around! The Circus Comes to the Smithsonian This Labor Day Weekend

September 5–7, artists from the Circus Arts Conservatory bring the artistry, education, and labor of this uniquely American art form to the national museum.

A common idiom in American English casts the circus in an unfavorable light: “It’s a circus over there!” tends to mean something messy and chaotic.

Yet if you look at the inner workings of an actual circus, the level of skill, coordination, and execution necessary for such a production is immeasurable. The split-second timing of a flying trapeze catch, the unspoken understanding and total trust between acrobats as they tower atop each other, the quick-wittedness of a clown as they turn an unscripted interaction into a highlight of the show—these performances require lifetimes of training, the strictest schedules, and the perfectly coordinated efforts of teams both in the spotlight and in the wings.

This Labor Day weekend, September 5 to 7, that work takes center stage in “Circus Arts Conservatory: Artistry, Education, and Labor of Circus Arts,” a series of free, public programs presented by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, taking place in the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building and the National Museum of American History. From aerial performances and costume making to hands-on demonstrations, visitors of all ages will discover the people, skills, and traditions that bring the American circus to life.

It’s not the first time the circus has come to the institution. In 2017, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s Circus Arts program brought an honest-to-goodness big top to the National Mall, with a similar goal of highlighting not just the spectacle of performance but the science and artistry behind it. Participants included legendary circus families like the Flying Wallendas, youth training programs from across the country, and service organizations like the Medical Clown Project and Clowns Without Borders.

A major component of that 2017 program was the Circus Arts Conservatory, based in Sarasota, Florida. Its professional troupe and student group, the Sailor Circus Academy, performed daily, representing the longest running youth circus in the country and its parent nonprofit. Now, CAC returns as the principal participant in the upcoming weekend program. In fact, the youngest student who performed nine years ago with Sailor Circus—aerialist Emma Clarke, at age eleven—will now perform with the professionals!

Also among the returning features are the Marvelous, Miraculous Circus Machine, a life-sized Rube Goldberg contraption that demonstrates the laws of motion; hands-on clowning and juggling workshops, and Q&As with artists after daily performances. Throughout the weekend, CAC’s costume department will create a full costume, and riggers will demonstrate how they keep performers safe from backstage.

All events are free, open to the public, and family friendly, with accessibility services including American Sign Language interpretation and live captioning provided. See the full schedule for details.

As we reflect on 250 years of U.S. history, this program highlights a uniquely American art form and the people who sustain it. The circus fits right into the Center’s 2026 Culture of, by, and for the People initiative, which examines the cultural traditions, practices and communities that have shaped the United States.

We invite you to come for the entertainment, stay for the history, culture, and education—and maybe together we’ll change the misconception behind “it’s a circus over there!”

Elisa Hough | Read More

Elisa Hough is the editor and web content manager at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.