Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Announce 2022 Flatbed Follies 5 BoroughTour

New York City's acclaimed variety arts ensemble, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, announces it's 2022 Flatbed Follies "Summer of Joy Tour" coming to neighborhoods across all five boroughs for FREE performances all summer long.

Presented on an innovative series of specially configured parade float stages, audiences will see incredible and eclectic variety arts talent including clowns, jugglers, aerialists, balance artists and more as well as a calliope wagon playing authentic circus music.

Brooklyn will see the first stops for this summer-long series on Saturday, June 4 as part of the Lewis Avenue Open Street (Lewis Ave. at Fulton & Decatur) and Sunday, June 5 (Myrtle Ave. and Wycoff Plaza). Performances are free and will continue at various locations around the city throughout the majority of the summer. The program is supported by the NYC Department of Transportation.

The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus' Flatbed Follies series originated as a way to support the many artists and performers whose livelihoods were affected by the pandemic, and as a way to remind New Yorkers of the importance of live entertainment to our city. Now in its second season, Flatbed Follies has created brand new rolling stages so it can continue to bring joy and amazement to neighborhoods across New York City, and all for free.

This weekend will feature comedy duo Rob & Jane, the incredible balancing skills of Ermyas Muluken, aerialist Juanita Cartenas, tight wire walker Logan Kerr, the Bronx's own legendary King Charles Unicycle Troupe, the Bindlestiff Clown Alley and more. No two performances will ever be alike. A rotating roster of traditional circus artists will often be incorporated with local talent including musicians, marching bands, comedians, and more. At a Flatbed Follies show, you can always expect the unexpected.

"Bindlestiff Family Cirkus spent the winter building our brand-new Flatbed Follies stages in order to accommodate a wide range of performers and performances. And now we are ready to roll out our "Summer of Joy Tour" for audiences across New York City," said Bindlestiff Family Circus co-founder Keith Nelson. "Arts access is so important and our mission is to bring quality live entertainment right to the streets of each borough. There's no admission and no reason why everyone can't experience the fun of live entertainment."

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE (More details to follow, more shows to come. Schedule is subject to change):

SATURDAY, JUNE 4

12:00PM - 6:00PM : Lewis Avenue Open Street - Lewis Ave bet Fulton & Decatur (Brooklyn)

SUNDAY, JUNE 5

2:00PM - 4:00PM : Myrtle-Wycoff Plaza (Brooklyn)

SATURDAY, JULY 11

12:00PM - 6:00PM : Jennings Avenue Open Street (Bronx)

SUNDAY, JULY 12

12:00PM - 6:00PM : Plaza de Las Americas (Manhattan)

FRIDAY, JUNE 17

4:00PM - 8:00PM : Woodside Ave & 77th Street (Queens)

SATURDAY, JUNE 18

11:00AM - 3:00PM : Marcy Avenue Plaza at Fulton St. & McDonnoguh (Brooklyn)

SUNDAY, JUNE 19

5:00PM - 7:00PM : Hillel Plaza (Brooklyn)

TUESDAY, JUNE 21

4:00PM - 8:00PM : W 120th Street at Lennox & Malcom X. (Manhattan)

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

3:00 PM : W 182 Street "Uptown Showdown" Performances (Manhattan)

SATURDAY, JUNE 25

12:00PM : E 100 Street "Uptown Showdown" Performances (Manhattan)

5:00PM : Johnny Hartman Plaza - Amsterdam Ave. & W 143 St. (Manhattan)

SUNDAY, JUNE 26

2:00PM - 4:00PM : Willis Avenue Open Street "Uptown Showdown" (Bronx)

FRIDAY, JULY 1

5:00PM - 9:00PM : Ditmars Open Street (Queens)

SATURDAY, JULY 2

12:00PM - 4:00PM : Avenue C Plaza at McDonald Avenue (Brooklyn)

SUNDAY, JULY 3

12:00PM - 4:00PM : Diversity Plaza - 37th Road & 73rd St. (Queens)

FRIDAY, JULY 8

1:00PM - 6:00PM: Del Valle Square (Hunts Point Ave & E 163rd St., Bronx)

SATURDAY, JULY 9

11:00AM - 3:00PM : 34th Avenue (Queens)

5:00PM - 8:00PM : 31st Avenue (Queens)

SUNDAY, JULY 10

TBD: Newkirk Open Street (Brooklyn)

FRIDAY, JULY 15

TBD : Banker's Anchor (N 15 & Banker Street, Brooklyn)

SATURDAY, JULY 16

12:00PM - 5:00PM : Beach 20-21st Plazas (Queens)

SUNDAY, JULY 17

TBD : Osbourne St. & Belmont Street (Brooklyn)

SATURDAY, JULY 23

TBD: Coney Island (W 12 St bet Surf & Boardwalk, Brooklyn)

About the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus For over 25 years, The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus has been presenting classic American circus tradition with its own uniquely contemporary spin. Its hybrid of vaudeville, circus, comedy, burlesque, live original music, and sideshow has enthralled audiences across the United States and around the world. The New York Times said of the Bindlestiffs, "There are certain things that make New York City so incredibly special. And this is one of them."

For information about where the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Flatbed Follies will be appearing this summer, visit www.Bindlestiff.org.

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