During Tuesday’s open gym session, members of Illinois State University’s Gamma Phi Circus hopped on unicycles and hung from trapezes — never mind the fact that their practice gym doesn’t have air conditioning as the heat index reached three figures.
These collegiate circus artists were just happy to be back on campus. They’re prepping for this weekend’s Sweet Corn Circus, a back-to-school festival taking over Uptown Normal this weekend.
“They’re so excited to be back and have no problem putting whatever it takes into preparing,” said Gamma Phi executive director Marcus Alouan, who helps oversee the financials for Gamma Phi Circus — and the tricks and flips. This weekend’s performances at the Sweet Corn Circus comes together in just two rehearsals, but Alouan isn’t worried.
“We of course are going to be selective in what we actually perform so that we can keep it safe,” he said. “They’re mature beyond their years in so many ways, especially as performers. I think we’re going to be ready.”
The Sweet Corn Circus is a rebranding of the former Sweet Corn Blues Festival; a corn-themed festival of some sort has been happening in McLean County for four decades. Alouan recalls performing in the Corn Fest with Gamma Phi as an undergrad.
“We have such a rich circus history here in this community,” Alouan said. “It just truly made sense to rebrand.”
Gamma Phi performed as part of Normal’s 150thanniversary celebration in 2015, and that’s when the spark for an annual circus festival began to take shape.
“That was the kicking off point to truly lean into the circus heritage and celebrate that,” said Alouan.
Fostering a new generation of circus performers
It’s also a chance to foster a new generation of circus performers. Members of Gamma Phi will set up stations where anyone can try a circus skill like juggling and tightrope walking.
ISU seniors Emma Rauschenbach and Connor Brawley will be assisting at these interactive stations and performing in the big show, too. Rauschenbach is a Parks and Recreation Management major from New York State; Brawley studies horticulture and hails from Texas. And they both came to ISU specifically for circus.
“When I was looking for colleges, I found ISU because they are one of two universities that has a circus program,” Bawley said. “I got into circus because I took a class in back home and I fell in love with the art. I wanted to keep doing it so I found a college that had it.”
“To be a part of that legacy of the circus history here is something so cool,” Rauschenbach said. “It’s really cool to be able to continue it and keep it up here. I have so many fun memories at Corn Fest. I’m so excited.”
The festival includes performances from Gammi Phi, Cirquemania and Iron Spirit Pro Wrestling, plus all the Maddox sweet corn you can eat and the typical circus fare. ISU students, faculty and staff who like what they see are invited to next week’s Gamma Phi open house.
“You’re going to get to try out a bunch of circus stuff and meet everybody here,” Rauschenbach said. “It’s the most welcoming and positive environment you could be in.”
“We love to have new people, so we hope that this Corn Fest brings in the new generation,” Brawley said.
And for the youngest aspiring clowns, jugglers and aerialists, Gamma Phi runs youth circus camps for kids 3 and up every summer.
The Sweet Corn Circus takes place in Uptown Normal 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission and performances are free. See details and a full schedule on the Town of Normal’s website.
Circus exhibits from the library’s extensive Circus and Allied Arts collection will be on view on every floor of the Milner Library at ISU in connection with the Circus Historical Society’s convention.
