Circus in the Park
August 22–24, 2026 | Prospect Park, Troy, NY
Join The Big Top Group for an inspiring weekend of flying trapeze, daring performances, community celebration, and circus fun in Prospect Park!
Saturday, August 22
Private Flying Trapeze Instruction Registration
Available by reservation throughout the day.
Circus Soirée | 6–9 PM
An unforgettable evening beneath the summer sky celebrating two extraordinary leaders whose work has transformed the arts:
Ronnye Shamam, recognized for her civic leadership, arts advocacy, and steadfast commitment to strengthening creative communities throughout the Capital Region.
Elizabeth Streb, the internationally celebrated artist and founder of STREB, honored for her groundbreaking exploration of movement, risk, courage, and spectacle—and for inspiring generations of artists to imagine what the human body can do.
Enjoy performances, conversation, refreshments, and a spirited celebration of the people who help the arts soar.
Sunday, August 23
Private Flying Trapeze Instruction | 9–11 AM
Circus in the Park Public Festival | 12–6 PM
Bring the whole family for an afternoon filled with circus performances, interactive activities, music, movement, surprises, and high-flying fun. The public festival is designed for circus lovers of every age! Free and open to the public.
Monday, August 24
Private Flying Trapeze Instruction
Come for the spectacle, stay for the community, and help us celebrate the artists and leaders who continue to lift circus—and all of us—to new heights!
More information, reservations, and event details coming soon. For questions contact: info@thebigtopgroup.org
PAST EVENTS
September 7th, 2025
Prospect Park | Troy, NY
Free and Open to the Public
Bring a chair or blanket and come enjoy a day of circus and fun!
From Quebec, Cirque Kikasse presents SANTÉ! a dynamic circus show with high-level acrobatics, contagious energy and breathtaking balances … All on our extraordinary Cirque Truck! The troupe's mission is to prepare the Terrace for the service by unveiling their unique installation. Ranging from arranging furniture that turns into a balancing tower 30 feet off the ground, to playfully inefficient cleaning of the truck and trampoline, to overflowing the popcorn machine. A fun concept with a virtuosity to give thrills to even the most seasoned.
12:30: First Show ( Pre-Show: Jasper Murphy: 12:00)
Reserved Seating is available: $35/online $40/at the door
Vendor Marketplace and Circus Jam
11:30-3:00
Join us for a vibrant Vendor Marketplace featuring local artisans, food vendors, and community organizations offering unique goods and interactive experiences. Throughout the day, enjoy an open Circus Jam where performers demonstrate skills. It’s a festive celebration of creativity, community, and play for the whole family.
4:00 Pre-Show Reception to raise funds for The Big Top Group. Join us for a tasting room and specialty cocktails hosted by Bull and Bee, finger food, mix and mingle with performers and friends.
Pre-Show Reception $65/Online $75/at the door
5:30: Second Show ( Pre-Show: Trojan Horns Brass Band at 4:45 pm)
Reserved seating and Pre-Show Reception tickets are available in advance or at the door. Enjoy a full day of raffles, food, games, and family-friendly entertainment!
Rain location: Under the Collar City/Hoosick Street Bridge (River St. & Hoosick St.), Troy, NY
2024
August 10 and 11 | OPENING WEEKEND: We are in negotiation with several exciting acts. Performance schedule to be announced in July 2024.
August 12 through 16 | KIDS CIRCUS CAMP: We partnered up with our good friends at Westchester Circus Arts to bring you world class education opportunities for the littles with top tier instructors in ground and aerial circus arts! (And not so littles...) Check out our Kids Programming Page for more information.
AUGUST 15 through 17 | SPECIAL EVENTS: We are planning a couple of special mid-week events. Performance schedule to be announced July 2024.
August 17 | FAMILY DAY : A fun time for all, join us on family day for exciting performances and and interactive kids ‘try it’ activity workshop hosted by Westchester Circus Arts featuring special guests TBA!
2023
2022
CirqueUS Presents: One Man’s Trash - A Repurposed Circus!
CCIAC Big Top - Prospect Park - Troy, NY
Residing behind bins and beneath trash can lids, inventive acrobats, high-flying aerialists, and quirky clowns welcome you into their world for a junkyard adventure. From an inhabited space of discovery and fun, this repurposed circus turns trash into treasure. Dive into the dumpsters to see how they recycle, reuse, and reinvent rubbish into a circus extravaganza.
FREE - Please Reserve Your Seats Ahead
$25 - For Preferred Seating
Fri, Aug 26 - 6p
Sat, Aug 27 - 6p
Sun, Aug 28 - 2p
2021
Hideaway Circus Presents: Stars Above!
CCIAC Open Air - Prospect Park - Troy, NY
Featuring an all-star cast of circus performers and musicians, the show centers around a day in the life of a traveling family troupe. Combining elements of contemporary and classical circus, Stars Above explores and celebrates our interwoven connections to loved ones, community, and what we’ve lost. The all-ages production is performed outdoors, under the vast canopy of sky and stars, on a custom-built circular stage and aerial rig.
FREE - Bring Your Own Lawn Chair
$25 - Preferred Seating
2020
CCIAC went digital!
From the Contemporary Circus and Immersive Arts Center comes a poignant, funny, one-of-a-kind solo circus performance. A.Lone invites the public to find humor in our lockdown lifestyle, from the comfort of their own home. ABOUT THE SHOW Co-directed by Aaron Marquise and Marie-Josée Gauthier (Cirque du Soleil, Circus Monti) A.Lone brings you into the world of A, a lonely clown quarantined on an old theater’s stage. Outside, a war rages on. To overcome fright and loneliness, A invents a family life full of fun and mischief while reliving magnificent days in the limelight. With imagination as his weapon and fantasy as his banner, A finds the courage to believe in a brighter tomorrow. In this premiere, A seems to step off the screen and into each viewer’s home, thanks to brilliant cinematography by TM Williams Photography. Staged exclusively for this production and captured live.
Available for on-demand streaming from January 22, 2021 to February 21, 2021.
2019
Cooper Stanton in ‘Roadkill’
Culmination of inaugural Artist First Residency
Suggested Donation $15
Prospect Park, Troy, NY
September 27, 28