Floating circus brings ‘mutant fish’ and some weirdness in show on Erie Canal

Flotsam performs for 500 in Medina, headed east on Thursday to Brockport

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – The Flotsam River Circus performed from a ramshackle raft this evening to about 500 people in Medina. Many watched under umbrellas along the bank at the Canal Basin.

Flotsam will be performing at Erie Canal towns as part of the bicentennial celebration of the canal. The troupe of eight performers also will be performing at Hudson River communities in New York City as part of its tour which started Aug. 1-3 in Buffalo and ends in NYC on Sept. 14. On Thursday the group performs in Brockport at 6:30 p.m. at Harvester Park along the canal. Click here to see the full schedule.

Camille Swift, a Chicago-based circus artist, is among the performers for Flotsam.

Jason Webley (right), a musician based outside of Seattle, leads Flotsam. He performed today while wearing a fish costume.

“It’s a hard time for humans and a glorious time to be an invasive mutant fish,” he told the audience.

The floating circus started in 2019 and has performed in 13 states and traveled over 2,000 river miles. Last year Flotsam traveled the entire Ohio River from Pittsburgh to Paducah.

Webley said the group embraces being different.

“I think there should be more weird, amazing stuff in the world,” he said.

The troupe members this year include performers skilled as gymnasts, puppeteers, balance artists, hair suspension and aerial hoop, juggling, clowning, sword swallowing and playing music.

Webley played the accordion while singing and proclaiming during the show. Other members played the fiddle and trombone.

“Don’t eat the fish. All it takes is one bite for it to be a real long night,” Wembley told the audience.

Flotsam drew a big crowd to the Canal Basin to see an unusual performance from a floating circus. The show was slightly delayed and curtailed by the rain.

Danila Bim impressed the crowd with her fast spinning while suspended by her hair.

Some of the troupe members walked the plank and interacted with the crowd during the performance.