After 17 years entertaining audiences in sections of the downtown core, Buskerfest moves its long-weekend street performance spectacular in support of epilepsy research to the idyllic surroundings of Woodbine Park. Get tickets at torontobuskerfest.com.
If you’re after nostalgia, track down Silver Elvis (Toronto).
For more than a decade, Peter Jarvis has been entertaining T.O. audiences with his metallic coin-operated, living statue take on Elvis Presley. Drop some change and watch the King spring back to life, complete with his signature hip swivel and lip snarl.
If street magic is your thing, Ace-K (Japan) is a sure bet.
Ace-K (aka Eisuke Saito) deals out high-octane magic mixing acrobatics, juggling and what’s billed as “insane balloon manipulation.”
If you’re into all things strange and paranormal, investigate Mental Floss’s (UK/Canada) cerebral sideshow.
Harkening back to late 19th-century carnival sideshows, where the lines between science, magic and collections of “curiosities” were blurred, the duo behind Mental Floss bring a potent mix of history and mystery to life with immersive artifact-driven storytelling.
If you’ve just been to your local dispensary, prepare to be mesmerized by Meow Mur (Russia).
This psychedelic cat hails from a distant planet orbiting Sadalsuud, a double star system in the constellation Aquarius, and will be roaming the park looking to make new friends on Earth. This alien feline appears super-trippy, but her vibes promise to be of the friendly and curious variety.
If Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are household heroes, you’ll get a kick out of Victor Rubilar (Argentina).
If this summer’s Euro 2016 and Olympic action didn’t give you your football fill, check out Rubilar’s award-winning fancy footwork. With virtuoso flair, he elevates this backyard soccer skill to an art form, juggling numerous balls with his feet and hands. You’ll never see one hit the ground!
If you have an aspiring gymnast in tow, catch the high-flying Silver Starlets (Toronto).
Look up to see this dynamic duo performing daring aerial stunts suspended from their 20-foot rig. Beyond the acrobatic tricks, they endear themselves with glamorous costumes, comedic banter and lots and lots of glitter.
Feeling frisky? Watch Seb Whipits (Germany/Canada) whip it good.
Part steampunk ringmaster, part Berlin S&M club exhibitionist, Seb Whipits flirts with danger – and the audience – while wielding two flaming whips and chatting up the crowd in his “zesty sexually ambiguous German” persona.
