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Rides, acrobats and jugglers, oh my! Circus time at the HOF Village with Winter Blitz

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Rides, acrobats and jugglers, oh my! Circus time at the HOF Village with Winter Blitz

CANTON − Hall of Fame Village officials wanted to change up the annual Winter Blitz event.

Now in its third year, the idea was to make Winter Blitz even more family friendly while offering new entertainment. So, they brought the circus to town.

The Cincinnati Circus Co. will present the Indoor Carnival & Thrill Show for children inside the Center for Performance sports dome starting this weekend through Dec. 29.

Featured are aerialists, acrobats, carnival rides, Christmas characters, music, games, inflatables, slides and more, including the debut of a motorcycle-themed attraction named “The Cyclone.” Entertainment also includes chair-stacking, magicians, stilt walkers, jugglers, face painting and balloon artists.

“This is really something no one else is doing,” said Andrew Karasik, vice president of revenue services for the Hall of Fame Village. “Nobody else is doing a full-fledged circus and carnival this time of year.”

Winter Blitz is at the Center for Performance, 1901 Hall Of Fame Way NW on the Hall of Fame Village entertainment and sports campus, near the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Here’s five things you need to know about Winter Blitz:

1. Winter Blitz is indoors and out of the cold

Looking for holiday-themed fun but don’t want to go ice skating or to an outdoor Christmas light event? Winter Blitz is totally inside the 100,000-square-foot dome at the Village, which includes a 70-yard turf field. The temperature should be around 70 degrees.

During the first two years of Winter Blitz, many of the activities were outside, including a tube slide at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

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Karasik said the Center for Performance is a “unique space” and “really just an untapped source of family activities and entertainment and leisure.

“We wanted to give our guests something different, and we like to innovate and change up each year,” he added. “We can bring the fun of Winter Blitz inside by hosting a carnival and holiday-themed thrill show.”

2. What’s the Cincinnati Circus Co.?

Indoor performances and winter shows are rare for the traveling attraction, said Dave Willacker, owner of the Cincinnati Circus Co.

The company is based in Cincinnati but travels across the country part of the year, including stops in Florida and North Dakota, he said.

They provide circus-style entertainment without animals. Willacker calls it an “athletic circus.”

Rides include a small Ferris wheel, carousel-style cars and swings, all for young children.

3. What is the “Cyclone” stunt show?

Willacker said he’s excited to debut the new “Cyclone” motorcycle stunt show.

A motorcyclist will perform on a large spinning contraption.

Performers also include aerialists and acrobats on spinning wheels, as well as a rolling globe. A ringmaster also will play a ukulele and lead children in a singalong of popular Christmas songs.

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4. What does it feel like to be an aerialist?

Two aerialists gave the Canton Repository a demonstration Friday prior to opening up for ticketed shows.

Casper Armstrong, 28, is a former Tulsa, Oklahoma, resident who was bitten by the circus bug while watching a documentary as a teenager. That led to her ordering torches for fire-eating before learning to walk on stilts.

“I think I like the adrenaline rush,” she said of performing as an acrobat of sorts on the 34-foot high “Wheel of Destiny.”

Stella Dionysiou, 23, of Cincinnati admitted people are surprised when she tells them she performs acrobatic tricks on the “Spanish web,” using loops for her hands and feet.

“When you’re spinning, it just feels natural and everything goes away,” she said.

Climbing up a rope, she showed off her routine, gracefully twirling, hanging and spinning with ballet-like movements.

5. When is Winter Blitz open and how much are tickets?

Winter Blitz will run Fridays through Sundays on Dec. 13-15 and Dec. 20-22, and Thursday through Sunday from Dec. 26-29, with two performances on Thursdays and Fridays, and four on Saturdays and Sundays.

Regular admission is $20 in advance and $25 on-site. Save $15 on the “Family Four Pack” by purchasing it in advance for $65 (or $80 on-site). For those seeking an enhanced experience, VIP access is available in advance for $30, which includes reserved premium first-row seating, a popcorn and soda voucher, and an exclusive meet-and-greet with circus performers.

Winter Blitz will be open 4:30 to 10 p.m. Fridays, with shows at 5 and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday (Dec. 22 and 29) hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with shows at 11 a.m., 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are sold for specific showtimes, but guests can enjoy the carnival portion throughout the day, with re-entry permitted and free parking available. Advance ticket holders can check in at the Center for Performance to receive wristbands, and VIP ticket holders will receive their food and beverage vouchers upon arrival.

For more information, including Dec. 26 hours, and to buy tickets, visit hofvillage.com.

Brunch packages cost $40 for adults and $30 for children (including both a buffet and Winter Blitz tickets), and are offered Saturday and Dec. 21 at Gridiron Gastropub on the Village campus. Brunch is offered at 11 a.m. with a 2:30 p.m. circus show, and also at 1 p.m. with an 11 a.m. circus performance. Santa and other holiday characters will be at the brunch.

The Hall of Fame Village is partnering with Be A Better Me Foundation. Attendees who bring a new, unopened toy valued at $5 or more will receive a free popcorn voucher.

Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com. On X (formerly Twitter) @ebalintREP and Instagram at ed_balint

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