MARIETTA — The Flotsam River Circus, a troupe of musicians, puppeteers and circus artists who travel on a rickety raft, giving free performances in river towns along the way, will bring their wacky acts to Marietta on Aug. 24.
The family-friendly show will begin at 6pm at Marietta Levey in Riverfront Park and will last just over an hour. The show will be anchored along the river just below the Lafayette Hotel. Spectators are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs and carpool if possible. There is no charge to attend the show, but donations are accepted and appreciated to support this ambitious project.
Inspired by American showboat traditions and recent floating art projects, Flotsam is skippered by accordionist Jason Webley.
“Ever since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of slowly floating down a river and being part of something magical,” Webley explains.
The crew of internationally renowned artists includes trapeze artist, acrobat and self-described “Giant Ham” Sadie Osterloh and illusionist and mime artist Matthew “Poki” McCorkle. Punk rock circus pioneer Tanya Gagne adds her innovative talents, while Henson Grant recipient Karan Sherrard brings an absurdist atmosphere with his puppetry. Percussionist and composer Sari Bresnow serves as musical director, and Malayali-American fiddle player Miriam Oommen is a member of the band. Taiwanese balance artist and choreographer Amber Liang Gibson is the latest addition to the troupe.
Flotsam’s maiden voyage in 2019 took it down Oregon’s Willamette River to Portland, followed by subsequent trips to Seattle’s waterways in 2021 and the Sacramento River to San Francisco Bay in 2022. Last summer, the crew fulfilled their great river-sailing dream, delighting thousands of spectators along the Mississippi River from Minneapolis to St. Louis.
Marietta is just one of the stops on the 2024 Ohio River Tour, which will run from Pittsburgh to Paducah, and also include stops in Wheeling, Parkersburg, Huntington, Cincinnati, Louisville, Owensboro, Evansville and dozens of smaller towns.
Flotsam River Circus is a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading the spirit of whimsy, wonder and possibility. Future plans include traveling along the Erie Canal and Hudson River from Buffalo to New York City next year, as well as taking their floating stage to the rivers and canals of Europe and eventually around the world.
For more information about Flotsam River Circus and its crew, as well as a complete list of tour dates, visit www.rivercircus.com