Mumfest adds acts to October lineup

Aerial pogo team, daring juggler come on board for outdoor festival October 11-12. Organizers of New Bern's largest outdoor festival have added two familiar acts to the talent pool for October's Mumfest.

The XPOGO team each heights of 10 feet on next
generation pogo sticks.

Signora Bella juggles knives and swords
while walking a slack rope.

     








The XPOGO team and Signora Bella, the great Italian equilibrist will perform during the October 11 and 12 festival in downtown New Bern.

     The XOGO team currently holds 15 world records and several Guinness records, It is touted as "the most talented and experienced extreme pogo team in the world."

     Their past performances range from Rio to Beijing to Hong Kong and later this year, they will entertain in Sweden and France.

     Extreme Pogo, or Xpogo, is an action sport performed on next-generation pogo sticks that have the potential o bounce more than 10 feet in the air, measuring from the ground to the bottom of the tip of the pogo stick.

     Signora Bella juggles flaming swords while balancing on the slack rope.  She has entertained audiences of all ages since her arrival on the eastern seaboard several years ago. She has performed on the streets of Williamsburg, Mount Vernon and at Poplar Forest, retreat home of President Thomas Jefferson. She also has performed locally at Tryon Palace.

     Bella brings to life the tradition of the traveling performers of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. She traces her roots to the Italian theatrical style of Commedia Dell'Arte.

     Mumfest is two days of free entertainment, including live bands with music from beach to rock, dance troupes, magicians, roving street performers and face painters, along with hundreds of vendors and craftsmen.

     It will also feature the 13th annual Boat Show.  

     Times for all performances will be on the web at mumfest.com prior to the October event.

Sun Journal, July 3, 2014