I hadn’t set foot in a circus since I was five-years-old. Back in the day, it was mostly caged animals, a couple of clowns and a slew of struggling-juggling acts. Even then, I was probably most ...

The following is a Folklife Festival story told through the lens of an object: the circus ringmaster’s top hat. Like all good “storied objects,” this one is imbued with the Festival experience of its ...