Circus Smirkus is almost as much a part of Vermont as is Ben and Jerry's ice cream. It has been called "a circus for kids who want to run away to join a circus." Of course, those who run away do so with their parent's blessing. Circus Smirkus has been going since about 1987. It's performers are almost all children between the ages of about 10 and 20. Children from all over the world compete to enter the Smirkus Circus training camps. The ultimate lure for these young performers is to be chosen to go on summer tour throughout the Northeast United States and sometimes overseas. It's an attraction you should not miss, especially if you happened to be in Vermont in June and August when the circus performs at its home in Greensboro. Acrobatics and mime comedy are the main features of the circus repertoire. Dogs and horses appear on occasion.

In typical Vermont fashion, the circus's organization is very laid back and of course, it is not that easy to find. There are few sign posts. Suffice to say that the grounds are about five miles north of Greensboro and Crystal Lake. If you can find Hardwick on a map, you aren't that far away from it.

The panorama below was taken on August 25th at the end of the 2002 summer tour. You can find out more about Circus Smirkus at its web site