Flotsam! River Circus Anchors in Alton for Silly Shows

Flotsam! River Circus Dazzles Alton with Free Waterfront Show; Catch Them in St. Louis This Weekend Before They Float Away

GRAFTON/WEST ALTON - The Flotsam! River Circus stopped by Alton and Grafton this week to put on a show complete with pirates, music, acrobatics and killer catfish.

The Flotsam show has spent the summer “floating down the Mississippi River all the way from Minneapolis to St. Louis,” according to their official website. Earlier this week, they anchored at Grafton to deliver a free performance, then continued down to West Alton for another fun show.

“Flotsam! is a troupe of musicians, circus performers and puppeteers traveling on a handmade ramshackle raft, giving free performances in towns along the way,” the website continues. “During the tour, the raft is our mode of transit, our home and our stage.”

The Flotsam! crew launched from Minneapolis on Aug. 4 and will wrap up their tour this weekend with three performances in St. Louis. Most of the performers have experience in circuses, cabarets and clowning around, which has helped them prepare for their high-energy, fun-filled performances with the river circus.

Silliness is encouraged. Riverbend residents were eager to joke around with the performers and enjoy their antics.

“It is a hard time for humans, but a glorious time to be invasive mutant fish,” the troupe announced at the beginning of the hour-long show.

With a night full of gymnastics, acrobatics, singing and fun physical comedy, the humans who stopped by to catch Flotsam! River Circus definitely had a glorious time, too.

For more information about the river circus or next year’s schedule, keep an eye on their official website. You can also make donations online to keep them afloat.