NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The circus has come to town for this year's Fall Foliage Festival.

 

In line with this year's parade theme of Berk du Soleil, Mill Town Circus's bright yellow and blue tent went up this week at Noel Field Athletic Complex and will open on Friday night with a 90-minute production inspired by the city's manufacturing history. The performances will run this weekend and next. 

 

Ringmaster and storyteller Carlo Pellegrini and Hilary Sweeney, founder of Westchester Circus Arts, are promising innovative and acrobatic performances by talented and experienced artists from circuses including Cirque du Soleil and from Ringling Brothers.

 

"These are the people that like, make it all happen. We wear so many hats," Sweeney said of the half-dozen or so crew who pitched in to put up the tent and take on other duties. "They're multi-talented performers.

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey said the hope is that this will become an annual event that will provide something new and exciting for Fall Foliage. 

 

The couple moved to the Berkshires five years ago, purchasing a home and few acres on Florida Mountain (Pellegrini says he loves snow and plowing). During the summer, they run circus camps in New York State. 

 

Pellegrini's been in the business close to 50 years as a clown, juggler and ringmaster and Sweeney, who also has a background in ballet, has been an aerialist for nearly 20 years. She founded Westchester Circus Arts in 2012.

 

Things went sour for the circus performers during the pandemic and Pellegrini said they had to rethink their careers. 

 

"We were up on the mountain saying, is there the possibility to transform our business? Let's just keep doing tent shows and performing for schools and educational purposes," he said.  

 

Pellegrini said the performances illustrate a story, and their North Adams debut was inspired by the city's manufacturing history and its transformation. Sweeney came up with the name Mill Town Circus (no relation to Mill Town Capital in Pittsfield). 

 

"Once she did that, I wrote it, and we just spent a couple days fixing it, like the mills did. So I'm trying to squeeze 200 years of history in the 90 minutes," he said. "I'm the boss of the mill. Each act represents a different piece of the history, whether it's the mill shutting, opening, or some mill owner realizing that, oh, there's a factory empty. Now, I could raise some money and do something good for the community, keep the community employed."

 

The Sprague act will include the company's contributions to the space race, particularly the Apollo 11 silicon disk fill with goodwill messages from 74 countries. Made in North Adams, it was left on the moon.

 

"The history here is so huge I know its going to take five years to tell it all," said Pellegrini, who's already thinking about baseball and railroad tunnels. 

 

 Macksey cut a ribbon at the circus tent on Thursday and a few guests were treated to a sneak peak of the acts. 

 

"I am excited about this," said the mayor. "I was amazed that we had this much talent sitting up on Florida Mountain. ... 

 

"We're excited to have you join our community and you're one of the family."

 

 

The tent seats 240 and performances will be Friday, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 5, at  2 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 6, at 4 p.m.; and again on Friday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 12, at 2 and 6 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 13, at 2 and 6 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m.

 

General admission tickets are $15 and ringside/front row are $25, plus a fee for online purchase. They can be purchased here.