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Old Falls Street hosts 'Side Show' to complement Wallenda walk; Hard Rock has VIP tent

by jmaloni
Wed, Jun 6th 2012 07:00 am

Day-long activities feature jumbo screens to view walk; interactive performers; vendors

Old Falls Street, USA, will be the center of "Side Show" activities on June 15. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., day-long festivities will spotlight Nik Wallenda's historic tightrope walk over Niagara Falls, which will be shown on two outdoor jumbo screens. The "Side Show" features tightrope walks and aerial moves from Charm City Movement Arts (from Baltimore) and other circus-themed performances from members of Deep Roots Niagara throughout the day, a petting zoo, as well as live music, festive food and beverage concessions, and more than 20 local merchandise and food vendors.

"If you weren't able to reserve a ticket to view the tightrope walk in person, you will enjoy joining other residents and visitors on Old Falls Street for our 'Side Show,' " said Global Spectrum's Ryan Coate, general manager of Old Falls Street, USA, and the Conference & Event Center Niagara Falls. "Throughout the past few weeks, our team has organized an extensive list of family-friendly activities planned throughout the day as we mark this momentous occasion in the history of Niagara Falls."

In addition to the event being shown on two jumbo screens being erected on Old Falls Street's park and middle blocks, festive food and beverage vending will be featured throughout the thoroughfare, as well as interactive performers and street artists performing aerial acrobatics, art collaborations, improvisational dance, juggling, stilt walking and unicycling, hula hoop tricks, puppeteering, mime techniques, fire eating and other activities.

The schedule includes:

All-day Activities - 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

•Ashley Vita Verde and guest aerialists will perform aerial acrobatics involving silks, hammock, trapeze and rope.

•Niagara Falls High School students and local artists will collaborate to paint a street mural to commemorate the day's events.

•Aaron Water, improvisational dancer and martial artist, will compliment other aerial performances.

•Khairi Kou Allah-Fernandez & the Chaotic Family will breakdance and perform parkour (a physical discipline that focuses on efficient movement around obstacles).

Other Activities Throughout The Day

•Alan Zawadzki and Dave Fultz will perform juggling activities (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

•Clumsy The Entertainer will juggle, perform magic tricks, do stilt walking, and unicycling (noon until 2 p.m.).

•Olivia Coloton and Ashley Cottrell, the NU Hoopers, will hoop dance (noon to 4 p.m.).

•Christina Merkle will perform slack line, poi spinning, and stilt walking (1 to 4 p.m.).

•Billy Horn & Gang will sing songs with their puppets on the street in the early afternoon.

•Charm City Movement Arts aerialists will perform tight rope walks and other aerial moves (3 to 6 p.m. on the middle block).

•David Lewis will perform mime techniques (3 to 6 p.m.).

•The Deep Roots Clown Troupe will clown around juggling, dancing, playing, and doing tricks (3 to 7 p.m.).

•Lakeview Animal Sanctuary will provide a petting zoo and pony rides (3 to 8 p.m. on the middle block).

•Nadia Ibrahim's Belly Dancers (5 to 6 p.m. on the middle block).

•Nels Ross, variety entertainer and clean comedian, blends comedy with juggling acts and other stunts (6 to 8 p.m.).

•Matt Zinski and other martial artists will perform the Brazilian art of capoeira (6 to 8 p.m.).

•Potter Dee and Pyromancy, Buffalo's premier fire performance troupe, will spin and eat fire (beginning at 6 p.m. on the park block).

Music on Old Falls Street, USA

•Eddies band Organ, portable organ playing various circus-related tunes (11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the middle block).

•Kelly Cornelious will play music with multiple eclectic instruments for a special performance with Ashley Vita Verde (beginning at 2:30 p.m.).

•Lew Custode and the Barroom Buzzards (5 to 8 p.m.).

Local Vendors (more forthcoming)

•George Edwards Jewelers

•Viola's Submarines

•Niagara Honeymoon Sweets

•Roaming Buffalo Food Truck

•House of Munch

•Diva 2 Diva Hand Bags and Jewelry

Live Music at Legend's Bar & Grill from noon to 7 p.m.

•Searching for Dinosaurs

•Inlite

•Achilles Revival

For more information, visit www.FallsStreet.com or call 716-278-2100.

Hard Rock

The Hard Rock Café, meanwhile, will host 97 Rock for a VIP party tent. Food and drink specials will be offered from 11 a.m. until midnight. The Hard Rock will have live music and deluxe restrooms for guests. That night, the Wallenda walk will be televised on a 9-foot-by-12-foot LED screen.

Hard Rock's party is open to the general public. The café is located at 333 Prospect St., adjacent to Old Falls Street.

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