By Carol McCracken  (Post # 1,604)

The circus will be in Portland – that is for the Frist Friday Art Walk on December 6th – called “Circus in the Streets” – it will happen between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm that evening. The one-time event calls for the shut-down of a portion of Congress Street between Brown and State Streets.

The announcement was made by  Portland’s Downtown District in a press release in conjunction with Creative Portland.  The shutdown of  Congress Street in this area opens up Congress Street for pedestrians to walk freely and enjoy the art and splendor of the evening, creating a safer environment for all, according to the same press release.

The new  Circus Conservatory of America is designing a once-in-a-lifetime performance that will take place at the intersection of Congress and Park Streets on the evening of the December Art Walk. This organization is expected to be part of the Thompson’s Point development as was announced earlier this year.

The idea of closing off part of Congress Street during the First Friday Art Walk is one long championed by Creative Portland Chair, Andy Graham. However, at a past meeting, city councilor David Marshall did not support the idea because it would cause a rerouting of Metro busses complicating the transportation system for that period of time for some of his constituents.