HOOPLA! By Circus Bella Returns In June

Circus Bella is back for its 16th Annual Free Circus in the Parks season, and this year’s show, HOOPLA!, will present a blend of circus enchantment and madcap mayhem for audiences of all ages. Running from June 4 through July 26, 2025, the production features 21 live performances in parks across the Bay Area, Laguna Beach, and Reno.

All performances are free, with live music by the Circus Bella All-Star Band, and seating is first-come, first-served. Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic blankets and small folding chairs.

The show, written and directed by Circus Bella Artistic Director Abigail Munn, is a 60-minute outdoor spectacle full of heart, humor, and high-flying talent. Music is composed by longtime Circus Bella collaborator Rob Reich, with costume design by Autumn Adamme of Dark Garden Unique Corsetry. The ensemble features a diverse troupe of acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and clowns performing to original music from the six-piece live band.

The season opens with a preview performance on Wednesday, June 4 at 5:30 PM at DeFremery Park in West Oakland. The official opening weekend includes press performances at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco on Friday, June 20 at noon, and on Saturday, June 21 at noon and 2:15 PM. The tour then travels throughout the Bay Area and beyond, bringing circus joy to cities including San Bruno, Menlo Park, Alameda, and Laguna Beach, with an indoor engagement in Reno, Nevada.

Among the returning performers is Tristan Cunningham, a beloved early member of Circus Bella, who will reprise her role as Didi the Clown. Cunningham, now a seasoned Hollywood actor, has appeared in shows like All Rise, NCIS, and Reasonable Doubt. Also returning is Willem McGowen with his high-energy Diablo act. Veronica Blair will make her Circus Bella debut with an aerial straps routine, and Jack Weinstock will premiere a new foot juggling act developed after training at the Wuqiao International Acrobatic School in China.

Other featured artists include strongman Toni Cannon, contortionist Elise Hing, aerial hoop artist Dwoira Galilea, ringmaster Abigail Munn herself, and Ori Quesada with his crowd-pleasing rola bola and trick bicycle routines. The music will be performed live by the Circus Bella All-Star Band, led by Rob Reich, and featuring Ian Carey on trumpet, Kasey Knudsen on saxophone, Michael Pinkham on percussion, Jonathan Seiberlich on tuba, and Christina Walton on violin, with other guest musicians on keyboard, accordion, and other instruments.

Circus Bella was co-founded in 2008 by Abigail Munn and David Hunt to revive the joy and community spirit of the Pickle Family Circus in a modern setting. What began as a single series of free park performances has grown into a beloved annual tradition. The company has performed for more than 135,000 people since its founding and has participated in high-profile events like the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Circus Bella is a nonprofit organization supported by San Francisco Grants for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and private donors.

This summer’s tour includes new programming such as free public juggling sessions most Saturdays from noon to 2:00 PM in Union Square, San Francisco. These sessions are open to beginners and those with some juggling experience and reflect the company’s commitment to community engagement and accessible arts education.

In addition to leading the company, Abigail Munn has been an outspoken advocate for circus arts workers, pushing for better insurance policies and workers’ compensation rates across California. Her efforts have helped lower costs and improve working conditions for circus artists statewide. Munn is also a founding board member of the American Circus Alliance.

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