The Campaign for the Big Top Tour
After a wonderful 20 years, our beloved big top tent Chapiteau must be replaced—and while we’re at it, we plan to update a few other things as well! We are pleased to announce Take Stake in Our Future: The Campaign for the Big Top Tour.
★ MAKE A DONATION ★
Make an online gift here or
by mail to Circus Smirkus, 1 Circus Road, Greensboro, VT 05841
Our goal is to raise $250,000 to purchase a new tent and support additional long-term investments in the Big Top Tour. Our wish list includes things like new bunk trailers for our hardworking staff; an “everything water” trailer we are designing especially to meet our needs on the road; a whole bunch of new lights to keep our lot bright and safe; climate control to keep the tent cooler for everyone during hot summer days; a VIP tent where we can offer low-sensory viewing and host birthday parties… and of course that new Big Top!
For the past couple of years, we’ve been thinking about ways to continue to deliver a world-class experience for the 50,000 fans who attend our shows each summer, and to help maintain a fun, fulfilling, and safe environment for our troupers and staff.
Your gift to Take Stake in Our Future: The Campaign for the Big Top Tour will help make our dreams a reality in 2020…and for years to come.
Questions? Contact Executive Director Jen Carlo or Campaign Co-Chair Michele Levy.
Make an online gift here or by mail to Circus Smirkus, 1 Circus Road, Greensboro, VT 05841
Naming opportunities
With a named gift to the capital campaign, you can play a unique role in ensuring a bright and vibrant future for the Big Top Tour. Imagine walking into the tent each season and thinking, “I helped make this happen!”
★ Climb to the Cupola with a Capstone Gift: $50,000
The capstone of any circus tent is its cupola, the highest point of the main structure that supports the roof and siding. Fun fact: Each circus has a unique shape to its cupola!
★ Support Our One of a Kind “Everything Water” Trailer: $30,000
By designing our own “everything water” trailer we can improve our operations and prevent water damage to our 20-plus pieces of rolling stock.
★ Make Our Bunk Trailers Comfy and Our Crew Happy: $30,000
Our crew needs a safe and comfortable place to crash after a hard day’s work. Upgrading our bunk trailers ensures that we’re keeping the team as comfortable as possible on the road.
★ Help Create VIP Experiences: $20,000
In our case, the VIPs are kids at a birthday party or audience members seeking a lower sensory experience. We plan to purchase a smaller tent for special gatherings and for audience members who can better enjoy the lights and sounds of the Big Top in a more accommodating environment.
★ Beat the Heat!: $20,000
As the climate heats up, so does our tent. Help us improve our ventilation, and create a more comfortable experience for our audiences, performers, and staff.
★ Be A Royal Supporter of the Big Top: $10,000*
Our tent is supported by four king poles, which stand grandly at each corner of the ring curb. These king poles are not only crucial in supporting the cupola – they play a major role in the rigging, the show lights, and speakers. *per pole
★ Create an Outstanding Ticket Booth: $5,000
Our current ticket booth is colorful and fun and catches the eye from a distance. But we’d like to create one that stands on its own, with a little more space for the help we need (both human and electronic!)
★ Join the Constellation of Smirkus Stars: $1,000
The ceiling of our Smirkus tents have been covered with stars since the very beginning. We continued that theme in our current Big Top “Chapiteau” and we’ll feature it in the new tent as well! We’ll include a guide to our named stars in our playbills down the road.
Make an online gift here or by mail to Circus Smirkus, 1 Circus Road, Greensboro, VT 05841