The early days
The Surreal Sirkus was founded back in 1996 when a ragtag group of artists and performers rented Pack Square Park for a day-long event that was meant to generate interest in building a community arts center. That first event spawned a vibrant community that would spend the next decade creating elaborate stage productions and hosting an annual arts festival in the very center of Downtown Asheville.
That all ended in 2005 when the Surreal Sirkus was laid to rest in a viking-style funeral procession (complete with a flaming boat set in the reflecting pond at the Vance Monument). And it would remain dormant until 2021 when the event and the troupe were resurrected for its 25th anniversary by Arts 2 People, the same organization that put on L.A.A.F.F. for 17 years.
What brought it back was a growing feeling that Asheville had lost some of its sparkle, that the forces of gentrification and boredom had begun to take over the town. It was time to Make Asheville Magic Again.
