Author Archives: Circus Smirkus
Out-of-This-World Fun at Smirkus Camp!
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Camp Photographer & Communications Assistant Elly Craig We are fully in the middle of the action now! Let’s take a moment to recap the past few weeks. We kicked off with All Levels 1, welcoming a mix of returning campers and newcomers, some campers who had never been to an overnight camp, and boundless amounts of nerves and excitement. The week was full of firsts—for many, it was their first time walking on a tight wire! Jade Kindar-Martin, world-renowned tightwire walker and all-around circus legend, joined us to teach special wire workshops. His visit was…
The 2025 Big Top Tour: GAME ON! is on the road!
WATCH THIS VIDEO!The 2025 Big Top Tour troupers are on the road! Watch our youth performers in this trailer of the Big Top Tour: GAME ON! Get your tickets at smirkus.org/about-big-top-tour/
15 Sights You Might Discover at Smirkus Camp
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Camp Photographer & Communications Assistant Elly Craig More kids upside down than right side up—handstands, cartwheels, flips, oh my! Banjo the camp dog trotting loyally behind Collin, co-head coach and fearless fixer of all things, as they tackle mysterious projects together. The entire camp dressed to impress for our dinner dress up theme “Fancy On a Boat” —think tiaras, feather boas, and more glitter than a disco ball. Arden (admin assistant) and Charlotte (3 year old honorary staff member) playing very boisterous games involving markers, tutus worn on heads, and having “lots of work to do.” A parade…
The Big Top Tour Opens THIS WEEKEND!
WATCH THIS VIDEO!The 2025 Big Top Tour troupers are about to launch the show! Watch our youth performers as they get ready for their summer tour: GAME ON! Get your tickets at smirkus.org/about-big-top-tour/
Behind the Curtain: Inside the Smirkus Prop Shop
WATCH THIS VIDEO!Meet our lead props maker, TJ Michael and production assistant Kate Grimble, as they share just a little about what it’s like to get props show ready behind the scenes. Get your tickets at smirkus.org/about-big-top-tour/
My First Summer at Smirkus
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Camp Photographer & Communications Assistant Elly Craig This is my very first year at Circus Smirkus, and while I’m here as the photographer and marketing assistant person, I still feel a bit like a camper—excited and full of anticipation to finally arrive at a camp that I dreamed about for much of my life. I first heard about Smirkus as a kid growing up in rural Wisconsin, and imagined a place where circus-loving kids could be wild, weird, and completely themselves. This summer, I finally get to experience it from behind the scenes—and it’s even more…
A Sneak Peek at the 2025 Big Top Tour: GAME ON!
WATCH THIS VIDEO!The 2025 Big Top Tour troupers are getting ready for the show! Watch the kids train and listen to music from the new soundtrack of GAME ON! by trouper alum Aaron Schondorf, our composer. Get your tickets at smirkus.org/about-big-top-tour/
The 2025 Big Top Tour! Off the Charts FUN!
WATCH THIS VIDEO!The 2025 Big Top Tour: GAME ON! will be on tour this summer from June 28-August 17 across states in New England. The troupers have arrived and in creation, preparing for an incredible show filled with aerials, contortion, acrobatics, juggling and much more! Get your tickets at smirkus.org/about-big-top-tour/
Smirkling Overnight: Firsts, Friendship, and Flying
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Camp Photographer & Communications Assistant Elly Craig Last Saturday we welcomed our Smirkling Overnight campers. The energy at drop off was a mix of excitement, nervousness, and wide-eyed curiosity as many campers were spending their first night away from home. Backpacks tumbled out of trunks, hugs were given, and parents waved goodbye with encouraging smiles that tried to hide their own nerves. That initial leap into the unknown quickly transformed into confidence and connection. Campers made fast friends, supported each other with compassion, asked for help when needed, and dove into every activity with bravery…
Smirkling Camp: The Magic Begins
Editor’s Note: This post was written by Camp Photographer & Communications Assistant Elly Craig There’s something about the first day back at Smirkus Camp—the way the gravel crunches underfoot, the distant sound of laughter coming from the Big Tops, and the electric buzz in the air that only means one thing: summer at Circus Smirkus has begun. This past weekend, our youngest campers arrived for Smirkling Camp, bundled up in fleece, rain jackets, and wide-eyed anticipation. The skies were gray and the drizzle steady, but no one seemed to mind. As one camper put it, grinning from ear to ear, “It’s fresh…