Circus Smirkus | 2025 Big Top Tour

Theater in the Open proudly hosts Circus Smirkus' 2025 Big Top Tour in Newbury Massachusetts!

Theater in the Open proudly hosts Circus Smirkus' 2025 Big Top Tour! Every summer, a freshly auditioned company of Smirkus Troupers, ages 10 to 18, take to the road in traditional mud show fashion for a two-month performance tour of New England. Backed by professional coaches, cooks, musicians and crew, our Smirkos perform to sell-out crowds in Circus Smirkus’ very own 750-seat European-style one-ring big top tent.

You have to see Circus Smirkus in action to believe it — these circus stars, ages 11 to 18 — bring youthful exuberance and polished circus skills from across the country and around the world. Everyone who enters the big top leaves with a smile on their face, knowing that they’ve just seen something truly special.

The annual Big Top Tour returns to the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury on August 1 and 2. Four shows over two days with some of the most talented young circus performers in America—all proceeds help benefit Theater in the Open’s programs and scholarships. We’ll see you out at the farm!

Roll the dice, whirl the spinner, and join the ultimate circus showdown—The 2025 Circus Smirkus Big Top Tour: Game On! This high-energy, action-packed spectacular brings your favorite board games to life with daring circus acts, playful twists, and nonstop fun for all ages!

From gravity-defying flips to hilarious hijinks, this game is full of surprises—and the only rule? Expect the unexpected! It’s your turn now—so get ready to have fun! When Circus Smirkus is in town, it’s always GAME ON!

When: 
Friday, August 1, 2025 2 & 7pm
Saturday, August 2, 2025 1 & 6pm
Prices: 
Adults (13+): $40
Child (2-12): $25
Under 2 Free on Lap
Phone: 
802.533.7443
Appleton Farms offers great farm-based Vacation Week Programs for kids ages 5-11

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms

Kids can meet the barnyard animals and hear a story at Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts.
Bring your little ones to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh story hour. We will read books about animals and nature, maybe sing a song or two, then head up to the carriage barn to visit our Nubian goats, Angora rabbits and see what other animals are out and about on the farm. We will engage in...
10:30 am to 11:30 am

Wednesday, April 29

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Stargazing at Mendel Observatory

Mendel Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night
The Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night (weather permitting) starting at dusk or 7:30 pm, whichever is later.  When special astronomical events of interest occur (total lunar eclipses, etc.) the Obs
7:00 pm

Thursday, April 30

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Friday, May 1

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saturday, May 2

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Teen Naturalist Club at IRWS: Spring/Summer Series

Join Mass Audubon for their Teen Naturalist Club at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield Massachusetts!
Explore a variety of local ecosystems such as a salt marsh, a freshwater river, or a tide pool on the beach. Take part in wildlife data collection in tide pools and vernal pools and engage in conservation projects such as a macroinvertebrate study or a horseshoe crab count in this exciting science...
8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Salamander Meander

What kind of Salamanders will we find at Mass Audubon's Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary? Photo: Mass Audubon
Explore the sanctuary's vernal pools, ponds, and woodlands to search for amphibians active during this season. If we're fortunate, we might discover Wood Frog and Spotted Salamander eggs, and we may even catch a few adults to observe closely before releasing them.
10:00 am to 2:30 pm

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike at the Crane Estate in Ipswich Massachusetts
Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…
10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Music and Movement at North Shore Children's Museum

North Shore, North Shore Childrens Museum in Peabody MA
Music and Movement with Marybeth Maes is an engaging music and movement class for young children at the North Shore Children's Museum. Marybeth brings her guitar and instruments for the children to use while they sing, dance, and play.
10:00 am to 11:00 am

The Legacies of Long Hill: House & Garden Tour

Tour the Gardens at the Trustees of Reservations Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts!
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to join our expert guides for a tour around Long Hill’s stunning Sedgwick Gardens and learn more about the special plants. Step inside the beauty and layered history of Long Hill with a guided tour of its breathtaking gardens and historic house. Once the...
10:30 am to 12:00 pm