The second annual North Battleford Street Performer Festival wrapped up Sunday afternoon with a brief performance from all the entertainers.
The weekend consisted of multiple performances from each over the three days, as well as face painting, balloon animals, food trucks and beautiful weather.
The performers, from as far away as Australia, were at the last location of their most recent tour after beginning in Edmonton.
“We started in Edmonton and this was the last stop on the tour. I’m going to head home for a while now before coming back in August for some festivals in Ontario,” said Alakazam, who excited, and possibly disturbed, the crowd with his double-jointed body and tricks that included juggling knives while standing on a 12-foot pole.
Alakazam, who hails from Sydney, Australia, began doing street performances in 1996 for one specific reason.
“For no other reason than it’s fun,” he explained. “I grew up really interested in the circus, so I started practising juggling and unicycling and hit the streets when I was about 17. Then it just turned into my job.”
Despite his tricks seeming unbelievable to the crowd, it’s just another day at the office for him.
“Everything I do in my show has been practised tirelessly, but if it’s in my show I generally don’t have to practise anymore because I do it all the time.”
Even while standing on a 12-foot pole, juggling three knives with a tennis racquet in his mouth, which has four blades attached to the top, rotating like a helicopter blade, Alakazam’s heart rate doesn’t raise one bit.
“It all depends. If it’s a really windy day it might be a little bit nerve-wracking, but I’m usually quite comfortable,” he explained.
He had a few astute observations about North Battleford, as well.
“There’s lots of sky here and lots of crazy rain storms,” he laughed. “The people are great, they were very responsive and receptive to the festival and that’s all that counts, really.”
Another performer, Peter Panic, has been doing street performances for even longer than Alakazam.
“Pretty much my whole adult life I’ve been doing this,” he said. “I’m 48 now and I started before I was 20. But I consider it a blessing to be able to do this because it’s a fun thing, it’s what I wanted to do and if you can get rewarded for what you want to do, you’re ahead of the game.”
Coming from the big city of Boston, Mass., a small town like North Battleford offers unique things to see for Peter.
“It’s a fun town, I noticed there is a tremendous market for used saddles,” he said. “I saw a saddle going for $800. I don’t see those for sale in Boston, there’s not much of a trade in horses and saddles down there.”
Other performers included Lea McGowan, a ballet dancer from New York City, and Rythym Speaks, a dance quartet from Las Vegas, who got the crowd excited with their incredible co-ordination and standing backflips.
It was truly a family event in downtown North Battleford over the weekend. Kids could enjoy cotton candy and watch a man juggle while riding a unicycle and parents enjoyed the jokes their kids might not understand yet.
