The North Battleford International Street Performers Festival begins Friday at 11 a.m. on 101st Street between 11th and 12th Avenues.
The festival lives up to its “international” billing again this year with performers based in Germany and the United States, as well as some from no further away than Saskatoon.
Aaron Jessup, a second-generation San Francisco circus artist, combines rope walking with fire and knife juggling in his Aaron Impossible performance. Jessup has toured throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Australia and Asia.
The duo, Helika, brings acro yoga to life as performance art. Their act combines music with the odd and breathtaking.
The event will also feature native entertainment that will be interactive, with the sharing of stories and the performance of native dance and native flute music.
JOHNman, who comes to the show from Germany, offers several interactive characters and intriguing statues.
Rap music by Yung-C is clean, positive, fun and appropriate for all ages.
Devil in Disguise presents a high energy comedy show. Steve’s show is a mix of clown, circus bike and hat juggling. Steve has performed in Europe and Dubai.
Hula-Hoopster combines multi-hoop skills with a silly water hoop act. Audience participation by those who dare is encouraged.
Prepare to be hypnotized by the antics of Spinja and Arcana, who combine contortion with inspired “spinning” of various props to produce whimsical entertainment.
And then there is Spandy Andy. Here’s his promotional statement at nbstreetfest.com: “Hi! My name is Spandy Andy. Seriously, I had it legally changed. You’ve either seen me dancing in the streets, on the Internet or playing jokes on my fiancé. Glad you’re here, my goal is to make you smile!”
The festival beings at 11 a.m. Friday and runs through to 9 p.m. Saturday.
There will be food vendors in addition to the restaurants in the downtown core and artisan displays.
The festival is a prime opportunity to experience downtown North Battleford in a positive and entertaining way.
The NB International Street Performers Festival was awarded the 2015 Saskatchewan Tourism Award of Excellence.
