Three Great Ways to Celebrate National Clown Week 2020
The first week of August is National Clown Week. It was declared so by Richard Nixon, when Congress on October 8, 1970, passed the following law/resolution:
International Clown Week
Since that time period, people have been taking some time during this month to celebrate, and often there are various organizations that meet or hold festivals.
And in 1991, people started calling it International Clown Week (which we of course have written about a couple of times. Most years I forget about it until the day. Today I remembered the day before. Progress!)
We’ve got a couple of good ways for you to celebrate this year, the year of the Pandemic!
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL CLOWN WEEK
A) HEAR A LECTURE ABOUT THE CLOWNS OF VAUDEVILLE
Your host Trav S.D. (He probably won’t be dressed like this for the lecture.)
Noted Vaudevillologist Trav SD will be giving a very informative and entertaining Zoom Lecture about the Clowns of Vaudeville. It starts at 2 pm Eastern on Saturday August 1. And costs just $5 to attend, and it’s free for his patreons. (So you could join his patreon for $1 a month and then see the lecture, if you were a super cheapskate!) More info here
B) SUPPORT THE INTERNATIONAL CLOWN MUSEUM AND HALL OF FAME
ICHOF is a small non-profit run by former Ringling clown Greg DeSanto. Greg has done a great job over the years, supporting and honoring some of the top clowns and circus performers in the world. COVID has hit them hard, and right now they are completely closed. You could give them a little donation or buy a video on their website.
(One of their videos relates directly to the above lecture:Â It’s called The Clowns of Vaudeville!)
Available only thru the International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center, THE GREAT CLOWNS OF VAUDEVILLE features an eclectic selection of incredibly rare footage of classic vaudeville comedy & variety acts.
From the slapstick knockabout of Willie, West & McGinty, to the clowinsh insanity of the Gentlemaniacs to the abstract tomfoolery of Chaz Chase this DVD presents some of the greatest baggy pants, slapshoe wearing, prattfalling clowns ever to play the Palace.
Only 24.95 + shipping
Region 0, NTSC
FEATURING:
• Chaz Chase
• Herb Williams
• Jimmy Conlin & Myrtle Glass
• The Foy Family
• Val & Ernie Stanton
• O’Donnell & Blair
• Willie, West & McGinty
• W.C. Fields
• Jack Pepper and his “Society Pets”
• Wilbur Hall
• Runaway Four
• Laurel & Hardy
• The Gentlemaniacs
• Ted Healy with Howard, Fine & Howard
• Shaw & Lee
• Johnny Puleo & The Harmonica Gang
• Milton Berle
• George Carl
C) BUY A MUG!
I have a couple of interesting Acme Clown souvenirs available in my Cafepress store, including a coffee mug that features all of the different names and words for clowns.
For every mug sold during the month of August, I will donate $1.00 to the ICHOF.