Bindlestiff Family Cirkus at Sinterklaas Celebrations Saturday December 7

RHINEBECK — The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus brings four special live experiences to share at Sinterklaas! An Old Dutch Tradition in Rhinebeck. In addition to annual “Bindlestiff’s Sinter Cirkus” performances, look for new stars and returning Bindlestiff favorites at Sinterklaas this year. Newcomers: Tanya Solomon debuts her “Razzle Dazzle” in Upstate Films’ Little Theater, and the Joshua J. Supershow. Joshua J. Superstar juggles, cracks wise, and defies gravity atop a monster unicycle in Foster’s Coach House parking lot. And back by polular demand, the magical rideable recycled treasure, Al Gori’s Homespun Merry-Go-Round.

The historic former Vaudeville theater at Upstate Films houses Bindlestiff’s Sinter Cirkus, a duo variety show featuring Bindlestiff founders Mr. Pennygaff and The Ringmistress. Witness circus skills, vaudeville classics, and sideshow thrills as Mr. Pennygaff, one of 70 living sword swallowers in the world, drops 24” of shining steel into his gullet! Led by the whip-cracking Ringmistress. www.bindlestiff.org Showtimes: 12:30, 1:45, 3:15 pm

Next door, in Upstate Films’ Little Theater, Bindlestiff presents

Razzle Dazzle, Created by Tanya Solomon, a magician based in NYC, Razzle Dazzle has performed everywhere from living rooms to school carnivals to the main stage at Webster Hall. She has also performed with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, and she teaches circus arts and magic in afterschool programs. www.razzledazzlemagic.com

Showtimes 1:00, 2:30 4 p.m.

Steps away, in Foster’s Coach House parking lot at the corner of Montgomery and Market streets, look for The Joshua J. Supershow, starring Joshua J. Superstar. This spectacle fuses side-splitting comedy, nail-biting circus stunts, and tons of audience participation. Audiences will be dazzled by his charm, awestruck by his rugged good looks, and confused by his overconfidence. Josh has performed all over the world, from the Arctic Circle to Zambia, and currently headlines for Disney Cruise Lines. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a living legend in action! Showtimes (weather dependent) 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 pm

In the same location, you’ll find another amazing attraction- a hand-made, solar-powered, monkey-decorated, bubble-blowing mini-carousel, operating between 11:00 am and 4 p.m.

Al Gori originally built his Homespun Merry-Go-Round as part of his senior thesis while studying kinetic sculpture at Mason Gross School of the ARts of Rutgers University. Over the years, he’s re-built, refined, and redecorated the Homespun Merry-Go-Round many times- adding mechanical monkeys, birds, and a bubble-blower to it. Built on the rear axle of a 1968 Dodge Dart, and powered by a washing machine motor, Al calls his Homespun Merry-Go-Round “Savage Salvage” : the art of finding new and fun uses for old junk, or, getting something for nothing. Rides are free, and young and old alike are welcome to sit and whirl.

All Sinterklaas! a Dutch Tradition in Rhinebeck events on Saturday, December 7 are free, open to the community, and offer many opportunities for participation. http://www.sinterklaashudsonvalley.com

Find out more about The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus http://www.bindlestiff.org