This friendly, two-day festival offers you the chance to try your hand at circus skills before watching the professionals. The weekend is brimming with workshops and demonstrations covering a wide variety of tricks from unicycling to juggling.

Each morning between 10am and noon there are free sessions in the Hawth Grounds, which anyone is welcome to go along to, as well as games and fire shows. All kind of circus goodies will be on sale, as well as food and refreshments, and if you really want to soak up the festival atmosphere onsite camping is on offer with toilet and shower facilities.

The highlight of the festival is the return of the Kettle Of Fish circus cabaret. A mixture of daredevil acrobatics, comic routines and exceptional acts, their performances have earned them a cult following. This year's lineup comprises the worldrenowned Gandini Juggling demonstrating their virtuoso skills, jawdropping airborne feats from Ockham's Razor, German wheel duo Acrojou and daring acrobatics from So & So Theatre.

This year there is a medieval theme and you're welcome to dress up and join in the fun with the revellers and jousters. Tickets for these events are always in high demand, so early arrival is recommended.

  • Aug 11 10am-11pm, Aug 12 10am-5pm. Weekend tickets (includes Kettle Of Fish and camping) £18.50/£14.50 for 6-12 year olds.
  • Day tickets (excludes Kettle Of Fish) £7/£5 6-12 year olds.
  • Kettle Of Fish: Aug 11, 7.30pm. £9/£7. Call 01293 553636 or visit www.hawth.co.uk


ZIPPO'S CIRCUS Hove Lawns, Kingsway, Hove, Aug 16-Aug 28

THIS fixture of the summer schedule has a new family show with a Wild West theme. That means a Mohican acrobatic troupe, cowboy clowns, whipcracking, ropespinning and, most intriguingly of all, ringmaster Norman Barrett's famous budgies in "Wild West mode".

  • 3pm and 7pm, except Thu 16 7pm only, Tue 28 3pm only, Sundays 2pm & 5pm. Adults £8-£ 18, children £6-£ 14. Call 0871 210 2100 or visit www.zipposcircus.co.uk


BORDE HILL GARDEN Balcombe Road, Haywards Heath

THE world of circus is well represented in the programme of children's activities at Borde Hill.

Events continue throughout the month and include two juggling workshops, with a traditional Punch And Judy show on August 21 and platespinning and stiltwalking on August 22.

You can take part in Clowning Around on Thursday and young visitors will love the magic and fun of Mr Fumbles on August 23 and Magic Lady on August 28. 2pm-5pm, children £3.50 (includes activity), under3s free, adults £6.50

  • Call 01444 45032 or visit www.bordehill. co. uk


BILLY SMART'S CIRCUS Homefield Park, Worthing, Aug 13 until Sunday, Aug 19

THIS legendary circus has only recently been revived after a 30 year hiatus. It regained its good reputation immediately and has already been voted Best Circus In Britain by members of the Circus Friends' Association.

Animals are no longer used, with the focus now on innovation instead. The company features trapeze stars The Flying Bull Dancers, multiawardwinning French aerialist Romain Cabon, Mexican clown Chico Rico and the acrobatic TIimur Yakobovi Troupe from Kazakhstan.

  • 3pm & 7.30pm, tickets £24-£8 Call 0870 444 1505 or visit www.billysmartscircus.co.uk