[title]
The past year has seen eating brunch outside and hanging in the park become default go-tos for many New Yorkers. Which, perhaps recognizing the rut many of us are trapped in at this point, might be why the New York Department of Transportation and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment has teamed up with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus to offer a traveling circus. Yes, you read that right.
The perfect-for-summer collaboration, titled Flatbed Follies, is set to be a jubilant affair fit for all ages. The unique experience will feature parade float stages and local circus artists taking over various Open Boulevards and Open Streets across the city on multiple dates through the end of August. The project purposefully taps into nostalgia, harkening back to when circuses used to roll into town and set up camp in plazas and town squares. Patrons can expect to marvel in the awe-inspiring talents of clowns, jugglers, wire walkers, acrobats, aerial acts and more.
The series will kick off this weekend, with shows in Washington Heights, Queens, and the Bronx. Throughout the summer, Flatbed Follies will travel to various locations across Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx—with a particular focus on communities especially hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s an added bonus: the fun, grand affairs will be completely free to attend.
“We are excited to see the return of outdoor performances in public spaces as the city continues to reopen”, said Anne del Castillo, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, “and are proud to join the Department of Transportation in supporting the Bindlestiff’s Flatbed Follies’ events this summer. These live events will bring the joy and theatrics of the circus to New Yorkers, while providing local talent, many of whom have been financially affected by COVID, the opportunity to be paid to perform for live audiences once again.”
This latest offering from the city is part of an impressive summer lineup full of free and outdoor activities this year. Other series include Movies Under the Stars, the concert-and-food program Open Boulevards, and Summer on the Hudson. So grab a friend and head outside!