Night of family fun is a highlight of the 20th Hurricane Hugo Juggling Festival downtown and on the Davidson College campus

Dozens of jugglers from throughout the Southeast will converge on Davidson the weekend of Sept. 3-5 for the 20th annual Hurricane Hugo Juggling Festival and its centerpiece event, the Vaudeville Extravaganza.

The family-friendly show is Saturday at 7 p.m. in Duke Family Performance Hall in Davidson College’s Alvarez College Union.

General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth under 12. Tickets may be purchased by phone at 704-894-2135 from 10-4 weekdays, or in person at the Alvarez College Union box office. They will also be available at the door until the show sells out.

Omimeo

The area’s top New Vaudeville comedian, The Great Fettucini (a.k.a. Steve Langley), will perform some of his clever manipulations, and introduce the evening’s performers. Those scheduled to appear include “The Piano Juggler” Dan Menendez, comedy ventriloquist Steve Brogan, Davidson College mathematics professor Tim Chartier performing pantomime, and Charlotte-based physical comedy troupe Omimeo.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the Davidson College chapter of “Building Tomorrow,” a national nonprofit organization that builds schools in Africa. Sponsors include The McIntosh Law Firm, the Davidson Village Inn, DavidsonNews.Net, The Village Store, and Ben & Jerry’s of Davidson.

The Piano Juggler, Dan Menendez

JUGGLING FEST ON THE GREEN

Saturday night’s show is a highlight of the 20th annual Hurricane Hugo Juggling Festival at Davidson College. All those interested in juggling are invited to a public “learn to juggle” session on the Davidson Village Green from 9 a.m. – noon on Saturday, Sept. 4. Juggling balls and lessons will be available.

Local jugglers held the first Hurricane Hugo festival in 1990 “in recollection of that frightful night in 1989 when Hurricane Hugo blew through, sending objects flying through the sky in an uncontrolled cascade of fury!” It is one of about 50 annual weekend festivals hosted by juggling clubs across the nation, and should attract participants from as far away as Florida and New York.

For more information on the show and festival, contact Bill Giduz at 704/892-1296 (h); bigiduz@davidson.edu. See also the Hurricane Hugo Juggling Festival page.