If “Spread the magic!” was Anahareo Dölle’s motto for the first Saint John’s International Circus Fest in 2018, the event’s co-producer affirms that “Recreate the magic!” was this year’s! With over 1000 visitors enjoying four days of circus performances, workshops, and discussion panels last September, the bar was high. Pinpointing audience’s favorites and other successful key-elements felt like the first logical step when planning this new edition. 

 “It wasn’t about starting from scratch nor trying to make it all feel brand new and different,” says the circus artist turned producer who started planning and programming merely a week after wrapping-up 2018! “A good team, support from the community and funding: that’s what made it work and where my mind went for 2019.”  On September 25th, people were walking in a determined fashion, confirming panelists’ arrivals, talking ticket sales with show venues, and making final changes to a giant wall-to-wall schedule at the festival’s headquarters. Hosting a selection of shows, a broad variety of workshops, and discussion panels instead of a single type of event clearly triples a festival’s workload! On the other hand, this unique combination might explain the event’s success. Locals and guests traveling to Newfoundland’...