The St. Catharines International Busker Festivalmarked the very first of its kind in the Niagara Peninsula and the turnout of spectators and buskers alike was fantastic. Kelly Daniels, Producer of St. Catharines Buskerfest, did an incredible job setting up the entire festival and all of the pitches included. In a genius kick-start to Buskerfest, Kelly collaborated with world renowned Rob Roy Collins to have him escape from a straitjacket while being suspended upside down from a helicopter 50 metres in the air! It was an unbelievable feat and really showed what the entertainers were capable of. (To watch Rob in action Click Here!)
There were a total of 15 Busker shows at the festival and each one had jaw dropping talents that were able to draw thousands to the downtown St. Catharines area. To accommodate this event, James Street and King Street were closed to traffic to allow spectators to be completely enveloped in the magic that surrounded them. Naturally in Niagara could not wait to get on site and see all that the festival had to offer. Needless to say, we were not disappointed and were completely consumed in the atmosphere.
Kate Mior has toured across Canada, the US, Europe, Asia and even West Africa bringing her ethereal living statue installations, amazing mime and engaging robots to surprise and delight her audiences. With a background in adventuring on streets anywhere and everywhere, Kate’s show has developed into a unique installation, blurring the line between a strolling act and an audience participatory show.
“Chalkmaster Dave” Johnston takes sidewalk art to the extreme, often drawing a crowd as large as the picture he so meticulously creates. Painting is a relatively new passion for Chalkmaster Dave but already his skills have earned him multiple clients including industry leader Disney and even movie and NHL stars.
Alex Kazam has been part of improv teams and groups for the past 6 years and has also performed for/alongside some of Canadas top magicians. He is an entertainer that uses the visual and mechanical elements of magic, in combination with comedy, quick wit, and a sharp entrepreneurial mind to help an audience have a good time.
These entertainers were just to name a few, but also included the likes of beat boxing group 704, the incredible contortionist Alakazam, hoop performer Sadie Spins and many others. Don’t miss Scotia Bank’s Buskerfest in Toronto from Aug 25 – 28 and Port Credit’s Buskerfest from Aug 19 – 21!
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