May Family Outing: Amazing Grace Circus Presents Medieval Circus Festival in Nyack, NY

Real estate agents like to repeat the mantra, "Location, location, location," knowing how much our setting affects our perception of things. And the Amazing Grace Circus has chosen a truly unique location for a special performance this month. The Nyack-based performing arts company will present a Medieval Circus Festival at the 150-year-old gothic cathedral of Grace Episcopal Church in Nyack.

The historic church welcomes visitors with two huge oak doors that open into the sanctuary. According to a history of the building, the central area is dominated by "stone pillars supporting stone arches that in turn support great arches of oak that rise forty feet to the peak of the building." The carved oak pews are copied from early Saxon benches found in Surrey, and the memorial windows are styled after those in Tintern Abbey.

In that dramatic setting, the circus festival will feature amazing feats by young performers led by instructors from Big Apple Circus, Acrobrats Inc., and Lux Entertainment. Interactive entertainment will include comedic jousting, acrobats, aerialists, artisans, crafts, face painting, period music, and food. The show will be directed by guest ringmaster Bishop Catherine Roskham, from St. John the Divine Cathedral in New York City.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the community outreach programs of Grace Episcopal Church, including services that feed and provide shelter to the homeless in Rockland and NYC, and the safe youth and educational initiatives offered by Amazing Grace Circus.

Also see: Rockland County, NY, May Calendar Highlights: Activities for Families

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