Hoopla on Good Friday

Not an image you'd usually associate with Good Friday, is it?

It certainly wasn't for me. An Aussie who'd been to the States told me that Easter weekend here is like Thanksgiving because everyone travels and visits family. Actually, I think it's like Thanksgiving and Labor Day combined because there's a fervor about getting out, especially to the beach, before the weather changes. (And yep, I am getting "caught up" on blogging--only I don't think of it that way).

Many people have a four-day weekend. Almost everything that doesn't cater to tourists is closed on Good Friday - more so than on Easter Sunday. Sylvia and I went to the Hoopla Festival at Darling Harbor. Darling Harbor is a touristy area downtown that has the aquarium, National Maritime Museum, a great playground, lots of restaurants, etc. Here you can get a sense of the buildings around the harbor. (These acts are NOT using a safety net or pads, by the way!!)

The Hoopla Festival is an all-day, mostly free festival of circus performers from around the world. Some are outside and some are in "tops" of various sizes. My favorites were inside, and we could not take pictures. Sylvia and I saw one circus troupe that was only children ages 7-18. I thought the Solid State Circus was the best by far. Talk about absolutely incredible teamwork! Impressive.



This duo from France was Sylvia's favorite. They combined mime, music, juggling, acrobatics, and a pool! (It's hard to see, but there's a man playing the guitar up on those bars by the palms.)

This couple is from Ireland. I loved that their act was in front of an Oz poster.

                                                                     

Hoola hoops were a big deal.

And at the Botanical Garden, circus inspiration at work: