Weekend Picks: Shakespeare And A Circus

07:05

July 26, 2012

Boston Globe arts reporter June Wulff joins Radio Boston to share her weekend picks.

Shane Miclon and Aaron DeWitt juggle clubs during an impromtu performance by Cirkus Smirkus (AP)

What: Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour

Where: The Gore Place in Waltham

When: Eight shows from July 26 through July 29

Price: $19-$25

More: Circus Smirkus is an internationally touring youth circus, featuring a cast of 10 to 18-year-olds performing on the high wire and trapeze, along with clowns, jugglers and acrobats. The troupe was founded 25 years ago by Rob Mermin, who's a European-trained clown and the former dean of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College.

This particular show is called “Topsy Turvy Time Travel: A Blast from the Past & Fun from the Future" and it pays homage to everyone from Neil Armstrong and Elvis to “flower children” of the 1960s.

What: Charles River Food Truck Festival

Where: Artesani Herter Park, Soldiers Field Road, Brighton

When: July 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Price: Taste tickets start at 20 for $27.37

More: There will be music, children's activities and more than 20 gourmet food trucks from around New England — including Grilled Cheese Nation, Lobsta Love, Trolley Dogs, Chubby Chickpea Mobile and VeeBop’s Ice Cream.

Blues guitarist and singer W.C. Clark of Austin, Texas performers at the Lowell Folk Festival in 1999. (AP)

What: Lowell Folk Festival

Where: Downtown Lowell (View the festival map here)

When: July 27 through 29

Price: Free

More: It always gets a bit overshadowed by the Newport Folk Festival because they fall on the same weekend every year, but the Lowell Folk Festival is free! There's continuous music on six stages throughout the streets of downtown Lowell and you’ll hear everything from blues to Celtic, bluegrass, folk-rock, world music, polka and country. There's also craft demonstrations, a variety of ethnic foods and kick-off parade Friday evening through downtown Lowell.

Afropop founding father Oliver "Tuku" Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe is one of the artists headlining the festival. He's known for creating a style that incorporates a wide variety of musical traditions.

Anthony's Pick

What: Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's Shakespeare on the Common

Where: Parkmand Bandstand at the Boston Common

When: July 25 through August 12

Price: Free

More: This year, the company is doing one of Shakespeare's lesser-known tragedies, "Coriolanus."

This segment aired on July 26, 2012.