The Sideshow Hootneanny & Coney Island USA present
Congress of Curious Peoples
April 25-27, 2025
Congress of Curious Peoples 2025 Schedule
Friday, April 25
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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.
Location: Sideshows by the Seashore Theatre
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Join the esteemed panel of scholars and sideshow professionals as they welcome the 2025 Sideshow Hall of Fame inductees.
Categories include ‘Born Different’, ‘Self Inflicted’, ‘Working Act’, ‘Attraction’, ‘Show Folk’
Featuring performances by The Loud Mime, Lunesol, Krystal Younglove and Faux Pas Le Fae
Location: Sideshows by the Seashore Theater
Saturday, April 26
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Location: Shooting Gallery Arts Annex- 1214 Surf Ave
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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.
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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.
Discover how science and anatomy make the seemingly impossible possible, hear tales of legendary performers who risked it all for their craft, learn how to evolve a skill into an engaging and entertaining performance—with a live demonstration from Meyer. Whether you're fascinated by circus history, medical curiosities, or the limits of human potential, this presentation promises to inform, amaze, and challenge what you think you know about this death-defying art.
Copies of To The Hilt will be available for purchase, and the authors will be signing books after the lecture.
Lean more and get tickets here!
Location: Coney Island Museum
*The Coney Island Museum is located on the second floor and is not wheelchair-accessible at this time
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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.
Learn more and get your tickets here!
ocation: Sideshows by the Seashore Theater
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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.
*The Coney Island Museum is located on the second floor and is not wheelchair-accessible at this time
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Presented by renowned sideshow historian James Taylor, this captivating lecture delves into the bizarre and fascinating world of sideshow hoaxes. 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 culture.
*The Coney Island Museum is located on the second floor and is not wheelchair-accessible at this time
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It’s a night of fire eating, sword swallowing, flesh piercing and so much more! With performances by 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
Location: Sideshows by the Seashore Theater
Sunday, April 27
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Location: Shooting Gallery Arts Annex- 1214 Surf Ave
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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.
Location: Coney Island Museum
*The Coney Island Museum is located on the second floor and is not wheelchair-accessible at this time
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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 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.
Learn more and get your tickets here!
Location: Sideshows by the Seashore Theater
Check out our past Sideshow Hall of Fame inductees here
Tickets
All ticket sales are non-refundable and WILL CALL only to be picked up night of performance, at our box office at 1208 Surf Avenue. TICKETS WILL NOT SHIP. There are no extra service fees for online purchase. Please check your junk or spam folder if you do not receive an email confirmation in your inbox.
Coney Island USA reserves the right to cancel a performance at any time. Advance ticket purchases will be refunded if such a situation arises.
Since the 1860's, Coney Island has been a beacon for interesting performances. For generations, it has attracted the curious and the enlightened in both the onlooker and the performer. This long-standing tradition continues with this gathering of unique individuals at Sideshows by the Seashore, the Coney Island Museum, Freak Bar and Shooting Gallery Arts Annex as we celebrate Coney Island's exciting place in American popular culture and explore its artistic and spectacular possibilities through performances, talks, and discussions.