Mall Provides Haven for Jackson's First- Time Fest

by Scott Schaeffer

 

Thank you, jugglers of Jackson, Michigan! This being your first festival, I can really

appreciate the work that went into the planning and implementation. I think everyone had a great time.

 

The fest was held in the Jackson Crossing Mall. I was a little worried because I didn't want to feel like a monkey in a glass cage with the public watching and harassing us. It wasn't bad though, because public traffic wasn't that heavy and we were out of the main traffic flow. The juggling was in a roped off area of the mall, with plenty of ceiling height and good lighting. Off of the main juggling area was a secured area where people could store their stuff (good idea!), register, buy T-shirts, bean bags, etc . A big empty carpeted store was used for workshops. Too bad the ceiling was too low for passing clubs.

 

The fest attracted 40-50 jugglers. Space was ample for this number, but things would have been tight with many more. There wasn't room in the roped off area to ride unicycles, so Kathy Glynn and I decided to cruise the mall a bit. We had fun dodging mall traffic and going up and down ramps until the mall security asked us to not do that (oops!).

 

There were the usual games - five ball endurance, Simon says, egg toss - as well as a raffle. I liked how they gave away those postcard juggling pictures that nobody really seems to want by just tossing them into the crowd!

 

It was interesting to watch the public watch the juggling. Mike Hilicki from Chicago always attracted attention with his solid seven ball pattern, numerous ball tricks, four clubs with a kick up to five clubs, three up pirouette from five clubs, and great three and four club tricks. He and Rhonda Horwedel, also from Chicago, passed seven clubs on unicycles. Steve Otteson from Madison, Wise., and Kathy Glynn, from Lombard, Ill., were doing a seven club three count pattern (very cool!), and eight and nine club passing. Melonhead, from Madison, was teaching a bunch of people the three person "turbo," the three person "gorilla" and other patterns. Where do those Madison folks get all this stuff??

 

Juggling ended Saturday at 9 p.m., whereupon some people headed to the Holiday Inn. I didn't go, but they said that security got on them at 11 p.m. (the "quiet hour") because they were "talking."

 

Juggling resumed at 10 a.m. Sunday. Most of the stores weren't open yet and the mall was empty, so Kathy and I went for an unimpeded ride around the mall. I had a mishap later in the day, though, when I was working on idling and tight turns and the unicycle shot out from under me and went right into a clothing store!

 

We stayed until the mall closed at 5 p.m., and had a great time. Thanks again, Jackson!