There’s a giant tent in Olympia near the port. Here’s what’s happening
Olympia locals may have noticed a fresh structure at Swantown Marina & Boatworks this week: a big top tent covered in red and white stripes.
Shoestring Circus returned to Olympia for its third year, offering 9 shows. After the 400-seat circus tent sold out every performance and organizers faced a waitlist in the hundreds, they added another night.
Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, mark the Shoestring Circus’ last weekend in Olympia this year. While the remaining performances are completely sold out, co-founder Nikki Laumb encouraged Olympia locals to try for a last-minute entry, as some pre-paid guests don’t turn out.
Tickets are $17 for children ages 3 to 12, while general admission tickets for anyone over age 13 are $35. Front row reserved tickets are $55 for any age.
“It’s really these audiences that are keeping us a circus,” Laumb said. “If they don’t show up, we can’t keep going.”
The Bellingham-based group founded the circus in 2022, offering their first set of shows the following year, but only in their hometown. After a sold out opening week, Shoestring Circus looked to Olympia for the next summer. The troupe will travel to six cities around Washington this summer.
The all-human, traveling big top show is a blend of circus and theater, Laumb said. She and her three co-founders create a new show annually, set within the vintage atmosphere of the tent, and tour from May to August.
“We know how we want this to feel,” Laumb said. “We want it to feel sustainable and good for the artists, and we want to be finding communities that like what we do … and then keep feeling inspired to make them something new every year so we keep that tradition going.”
This year’s show, titled “Dreamland,” considers the perspective of the sheep counted on the way to falling asleep. The 15 live performers adopt the roles of real people and dreamers, working to bring the quality of a dream to the tent.
Performances are open to all ages, Laumb said.
“If we’ve done our job right, we should have been able to meet any age or demographic, or anyone coming into the tent,” Laumb said. “There should be something that resonates with them.”
Each annual production strives for increased grandeur, and according to Laumb, Dreamland represents the troupe’s most ambitious effort to date. But Shoestring Circus maintains its original commitment to a modest budget, weaving creative reuse into the show’s aesthetic, she said.
Some Olympia community members have embraced the circus as a local tradition, and Laumb said that opening night saw nearly 50 guests wearing their Shoestring Circus t-shirts from the year prior.
“We’re just trying to make the best show we possibly can, in part to keep existing, but also in part just out of gratitude,” Laumb said. “I just want [the audience] to have a great time every year.”
Alternatively, those who missed the Shoestring Circus can catch it in the Puyallup area from July 3 to July 12 at the McMillin Farm.
“Having some Olympia energy at a new community would be so great,” Laumb said.
This summer’s full Shoestring Circus schedule is available here.