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Carnies, Freaks and Tattoo Artists Celebrate History and Future of the Circus Sideshow
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Added: 08/23/2006
Type: Summary
Viewed: 1044 time(s)
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Carnies, Freaks and Tattoo Artists Celebrate History and Future of the Circus Sideshow
Each Labor Day weekend, this small town in northeastern Pennsylvania becomes the world’s center of weirdness – and this year is no exception. From September 1st through 3rd, the strange, the unusual and the freakish will take center stage at the 5th Annual Sideshow Gathering at Inkin’ the Valley. Showmen from across the country will congregate in Wilkes-Barre to celebrate the giddy thrills and forbidden mysteries of the circus and carnival sideshow. Over the holiday weekend, these carnies will swap lies (or “cut up jackpots”, as they say), perform outrageous feats of physical daring – swallowing swords, eating razor blades, walking on broken glass – and allow the public to watch. Past years have witnessed world records broken, and even a marriage ceremony on stage.
“We live in a day and age of multimillion dollar special effect entertainment be it 'Pirates of the Caribbean' or Vegas,” says Dick Zigun, unelected Mayor of Coney Island. “However, there is nothing like being in the small audience of a real sideshow and feeling the heat from the torch of the fire-eater, watching a glass eater's act knowing there is no trick photography, knowing that the performers have real tattoos that don't wash off. No other entertainment can match the sideshow for that.”
Attractions at the 5th Annual Sideshow Gathering will include: Zamora, The Torture King; Col. Hunsley’s Freaks & Oddities, New York’s Bindlestiff Family Cirkus; Sideshow Bennie, the One-man Ten-in-one; Travis Fessler of The Pickled Brothers Sideshow; Natasha Veruschka, Queen of Swords; the masterful conjurations of Matt the Knife; sword swallower Roderick Russell; fakir and carny jack-of-all-trades Red Stuart; and more acts to be announced. Additionally, the entire cast of Coney Island’s Sideshow by the Seashore will take the stage, including: Insectavora, Diamond Donny V, Serpentina, Scott Baker, Rock Roc It, and Heather Holiday. Vendors including Shocked & Amazed will also be on hand to display unusual items such as freakshow memorabilia.
Concurrent with the 14th Annual Inkin' the Valley tattoo convention at Wilkes-Barre’s Ramada Plaza Hotel, the 5th Annual Sideshow Gathering begins with a private Swap Meet and Jackpot Session on August 31st, but opens to the public on Friday, September 1st , with live sideshow performances starting at 7:00 p.m. Performances will resume at 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, followed by an awards breakfast and encore performance on Sunday. Tickets provide entry to both the Sideshow Gathering and Inkin’ the Valley, and all those purchasing tickets will be entered in a raffle to win a quad from Electric City Harley Davidson. For more information about tickets, please visit http://www.thesideshowgathering.com.
Generations of Americans once stood in line on their local fairgrounds to stare at human freaks and strange feats under a canvas tent. Every big circus had a sideshow full of odd attractions, and dime museums flourished in every city. The golden days of the sideshow are long gone, but for this dedicated group of fans and performers the tradition is still very much alive.
It’s a treat for the audience, but for performers the Sideshow Gathering is also an opportunity to connect with fellow acts. Philadelphia’s Red Stuart, a 40-year sideshow veteran who at last year’s event broke a 105-year-old record by swallowing 25 swords at the same time says, “I'm still humbled by the other performers and the different ways that they present their acts to the public. For my opinion, we as performers are a family.”
When asked what makes the Sideshow Gathering different from any other convention, James Taylor (show historian and editor of the journal Shocked & Amazed! On and Off the Midway) said, “The shows are mostly gone from carnivals as are all the old showmen's clubs, and it's the era of the new vaudeville, the new burlesque, the new sideshow, the new variety entertainment. And before just a few years ago, those showfolk had no such clubs, no such associations, no such home. The annual Sideshow Gathering in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, is the showmen's club for all of variety's future.”
Entertainment is the reason for the convention, but the Sideshow Gathering is also about recognizing sideshow’s origins and promoting its future. Each year, the Sideshow Gathering looks to honor one person who has made a significant contribution to the business. Past honorees have included showmen C. M. Christ, Ward Hall, Bobby Reynolds, and the late Slim Price. This year, the Sideshow Gathering’s special guest of honor will be Dick Zigun, founder of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow. Franco Kossa, founder and organizer of the event, will present Zigun with the 2006 Ambassador of Wonder Award for Zigun’s many years of work as producer, promoter, historian and spokesman for the amusement industry in general and Coney Island in particular.
Franco Kossa feels that the Sideshow Gathering is vital to keeping the tradition alive. “This is a tough business, and a lot of people get burned out after a season or two. The sideshow world is a small and tight-knit community. The Gathering gives these folks a place to get together, cut up jackpots, show off a bit, and refresh their spirits. Not just anybody can go out there day after day pounding spikes into their face or letting people staple dollar bills to them. As they say in the business, it’s a hard way to make an easy living.”
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