Normal, Ill. – Aug. 19, 2026 – Sweet Corn Circus, the annual celebration of Bloomington-Normal’s circus and agricultural roots, returns to Uptown Normal 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 22, and 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 23.
Constitution Boulevard will be signed no parking at 4 p.m. and closed at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20. On Friday, Aug. 21, the westernmost rows of parking in the Trail East parking lot will close at 6 a.m. Also on Aug. 21, the following roads and lots will be signed no parking after 11 a.m. and close at noon:
- East Beaufort Street, from Linden Street to Uptown Circle
- All of Uptown Circle
- West Beaufort Street, from Uptown Circle to the Uptown Station parking deck entrance (the parking deck will remain accessible from West Beaufort Street throughout the event)
- North Street, from Uptown Circle to Fell Avenue
- Broadway, from the north side of the Post Office building through the intersection at North Street
- Trail East parking lot
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Constitution Trail along the alley on West Beaufort Street through Uptown Circle to College Avenue will be closed to through traffic for the duration of the event. Riders are asked to exercise additional caution on Friday, Aug. 21, during setup for the event.
Designated accessible parking will be available in the Trail West parking lot. The Trail East lot will be reserved for vendor parking.
All areas are expected to reopen to vehicular traffic as soon as safely possible following the event, estimated around 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23.
To see the road closure, visit an online map of the impacts (https://arcg.is/01fneX3).
About the event
Sweet Corn Circus festival will feature live performances throughout the weekend including acrobats, clowns, aerial arts, professional wrestling, live music and more. Featured performers include Gamma Phi Circus, CirqueMania and Iron Spirit Pro Wrestling.
Admission to the event is free, including all performances.
Locally grown Illinois sweet corn from Maddox Sweet Corn Farm will be available for purchase. Cooked corn for $1 per ear can be purchased in the intersection of Broadway and North Street. Uncooked, shucked corn will be available for drive-up sales on Broadway (accessible via College Avenue) for $7 per dozen ears.
Free corn is available to college students with a valid student ID (limit one per student, while supplies last).
In addition to patronizing the Uptown Normal shops, restaurants and businesses that remain open and accessible during the event, festival-goers can also peruse upwards of 120 vendor and community booths. A food court featuring food trucks and other concessionaires will be set up around Uptown Circle.
