Coney Island USA & The Sideshow Hootenanny present
The 2025 Congress of Curious Peoples
Looking for COMBO tix?
Thursday April 24
Cinder Petrichor presents HOUSE OF FIRE
📍 at House of Yes- 2 Wyckoff Ave, Brooklyn, NY
The flames are high, the energy is wild, and the night is burning bright! Step into House of Fire, a scorching variety show featuring NYC’s most dazzling fire performers. Featuring performances by Kita St Cyr, The Brides, Alaska, Joseph Kerr and more!
*This is not an official hoot event. Join us for this unofficial welcome party
Friday, April 25
12pm-4pm | Performer Video Filming | FREE
📍 Sideshows by the Seashore Theatre
Need high-quality footage for festival applications, promo materials, or a new act? Join us for this performer shoot day on the historic Coney Island Sideshow stage. Cheer on your fellow performers and capture professional videos in this iconic venue! Want to participate? Fill out this tech form to reserve your spot.
6pm-10pm | The Sideshow Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Showcase | $20
Join the esteemed panel of scholars and sideshow professionals as they welcome the 2025 Sideshow Hall of Fame inductees.
Be sure to cast your vote at this link. Categories include ‘Born Different’, ‘Self Inflicted’, ‘Working Act’, ‘Attraction’, ‘Show Folk’
Featuring performances by Nati the Patchwork Girl, The Loud Mime, Lunesol, Krystal Younglove and Faux Pas Le Fae
Saturday, April 26
12pm-8pm | The Hoot's Bizarre Bazaar | FREE
📍 In the Shooting Gallery - 1214 Surf Ave
1pm-2pm | Workshop: Cheat Nothing! Beginner Dragon Staff workshop with Marisol la Muerte | $20
📍 In the Theatre
Are you feeling repetitive in your dragon staff journey? Are you constantly finding yourself returning to the safe trick, commonly known as the "Cheating Death"? Well, we are no longer cheating anything!
"Cheat Nothing!" is the beginner-to-intermediate workshop taught by award-winning, Atlanta-based dragon staff performer, Marisol La Muerte. With over six years experience, Marisol (part of the duo act LŪNESOL), will be showing you several new methods to exiting/transitioning out of Cheating Death, so you may too, Cheat Nothing.
1pm-2:30pm | Lecture: The History, Art & Science of Sword Swallowing with Dan Meyer & Marc Hartzman | $20
📍 In the Museum
Join world-renowned sword swallower Dan Meyer and sideshow historian Marc Hartzman, co-authors of the new book, To The Hilt: A Sword Swallower’s History of Sword Swallowing, for a deep dive into one of the most dangerous performance arts in history. Blending historical storytelling, scientific exploration, and firsthand experience, this lecture unveils the origins, evolution, and astonishing feats of sword swallowing, from its ancient roots to its modern-day practitioners.
3pm-4:30pm | Strange Girls: Women in Sideshow with Lady Aye | $20
📍 In the Museum
Returning to the subject raised at the first Hoot ten years ago, a panel of sideshow professionals discuss the classic question, “Where Are the Women?” Given the current cultural environment, now’s a good time to take a look at how far we’ve come as performers, producers, and in all other aspects of this American artform and the challenges we still face. Chaired by performer and author The Lady Aye, featured speakers will include Kita St. Cyr (Coney Island/Hot Fix Sideshow), Arrie Fae Bronson-Davidson (The Brides), and others who bring their perspectives on the past, present and future of this American artform.
2pm-4pm | Workshop: Beginner Fire Eating with Joseph Kerr | $150
📍 In the Theatre
Internationally renowned circus artist and master of pyromancy Joseph Kerr will be in town teaching his unique style of fire eating at the Coney Island Sideshow. Students in the beginner class need no previous experience whatsoever, and can expect to learn how to eat fire, safely set their skin aflame, and how to turn themselves into a human candle. Students in the advanced class will need to have prior experience with vapor manipulation, or will need to have taken Joseph Kerr's beginner class. Advanced students will master the vapor candle, explore the exciting world of combo tricks, and learn how to perform the mouth cauldron.
5pm-6:30pm | Lecture: When the Going Gets Weird with James Taylor | $20
📍 In the Museum
Exploring four of the most infamous sideshow gaffs from the last two centuries — the Feejee Mermaid, the Cardiff Giant, Kap-Dwa, and the Minnesota Iceman — Taylor unravels the stories behind these legendary fabrications. Through a mix of historical insight and colorful storytelling, discover how these fantastical creations captivated audiences, blurred the lines between myth and reality, and left a lasting mark on sideshow history.
8pm-10pm | The Sideshow Hootenanny Performer Showcase | $30
📍 In the Theatre
It’s a night of fire eating, sword swallowing, flesh piercing and so much more! With performances by Black Scorpion, Joseph Kerr, Alaska Lostboy, Anna Monoxide, 3 Legged Dog Sideshow and Dr. Finnegan’s Circus, plus a Guinness World Record Sword Swallowing attempt led by Dan Meyer and Marc Hartzman
Sunday, April 27
12pm-8pm | The Hoot's Bizarre Bazaar | FREE
📍 In the Shooting Gallery - 1214 Surf Ave
3pm-4pm | Mental Flossing: The Ins (Through Your Nose) and Outs (Of Your Mouth) | $20
📍 In the Museum
Join The Amazing Face Dan Block of Three Legged Dog Sideshow for a hands-on workshop diving into the bizarre and fascinating world of mental flossing—the act of threading objects through the nasal cavity and pulling them out through the mouth. Dan, who holds a Guinness World Record for making a balloon animal through his sinus cavity and was featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, will guide you through the proper techniques, safety considerations, and common mistakes to avoid. But it’s not just about the stunt—it’s about how you present it. This workshop will cover different performance styles, from comedic takes to high-impact shock value, helping you craft a routine that fits your own stage persona. Whether you're a performer looking to add a wild new skill or just curious about the mechanics behind it, this session will give you everything you need to know.
3pm-5pm | Workshop: Advanced Fire Eating with Joseph Kerr | $200
📍 In the Theatre
Internationally renowned circus artist and master of pyromancy Joseph Kerr will be in town teaching his unique style of fire eating at the Coney Island Sideshow. Students in the beginner class need no previous experience whatsoever, and can expect to learn how to eat fire, safely set their skin aflame, and how to turn themselves into a human candle. Students in the advanced class will need to have prior experience with vapor manipulation, or will need to have taken Joseph Kerr's beginner class. Advanced students will master the vapor candle, explore the exciting world of combo tricks, and learn how to perform the mouth cauldron.
HOT FIX SIDESHOW
📍 at Red Pavilion- 1241 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn, NY
Aerial, sword swallowing, human pincushion, burlesque and more from Kita St Cyr, The Stockdales, Queensinera, Jigsaw Joe, The Trickster Bruises and special guests Jack Rabbit Slims and The Loud Mime
*This is not an official hoot event. Join us for this unofficial after party