Jesters, jokers and jugglers will transform downtown Gainesville into a world of amusement every Saturday night in April.
Jest Fest!, a new, family-friendly event produced by the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department, will take over Bo Diddley Community Plaza at 6 p.m. Saturday.
David Ballard, event coordinator for the department, has a background in entertainment. He knows many of the performers from his experience working as a professional fool, he said.
He hopes Jest Fest! will become an annual show and a signature springtime event in Gainesville, he said.
“Every night has some wonderful, different types of entertainment,” Ballard said. “I’m just hoping to see a whole bunch of folks out there, a whole bunch of smiles and lots of laughter.”
On Saturday, the audience can expect characters on giant stilts, a juggling show and a preview of the Hippodrome State Theatre’s new production of “Robin Hood,” Ballard said.
Fabrice and Shannon Bouillaud, husband and wife, will perform as the Cirikli Stilt Birds.
Shannon Bouillaud described their costumes as a surreal handcrafted mechanical puppet. She said each costume is about 14 feet long on 3-foot peg stilts.
Their act consists of a performance to music that tells a story of friendship between three stilt birds and a shepherd while they interact with the audience.
“People’s responses are always what drives our characters to come to life,” she said.
The Cirikli Stilt Birds performance at Jest Fest! shares the story of a shepherd’s journey to find his bird a mate.
TreeMan, a walking, living tree character, willgreet and interact with audience members at Jest Fest! Saturday.
