I arrived to the San Diego Circus Center  hot, sweaty, and brimming with anticipation. A little boy in a red t-shirt zoomed past me in a parking lot, shouting with glee as a hoard of children and an overwhelmed chaperone shuffled behind him. Peering toward where the little humans came from, I saw my first glimpse of what was the magic of AYCOFest 2019. Already a well-oiled machine; there were tables set up for check-ins, swag, questions, and a well-guarded tech rehearsal happening inside the circus school doors. The quick paces, fast answers and picking up of heavy objects felt like home. The Festival hadn’t truly begun yet, but the excitement of four days of non-stop circus was certainly in the air.

Description: San Diego Circus Center Hosts AYCOFest 2019. Taken on the opening ceremony night. Photo credit: Sierra Rhoades Nicholls AYCO Overview AYCO (The American Youth Circus Organization) began in...