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Berkeley Jam 2026: Free Juggling & Circus Arts Festival (Willard Park)

Sunday, September 20, 2026 - 11:00 am to 5:00 pm | Cost: FREE
Willard Park | 2730 Hillegass Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705

Event Details

The 2026 Berkeley Jam is a free, all-ages juggling and circus arts festival held at Willard Park in Berkeley. The event features workshops, skill shares, open jams, games, and a homemade jam tasting contest. Attendees of all skill levels are invited to participate in juggling, prop spinning, unicycling, and more. Workshop topics include intro to juggling, poi, cigar box, and various passing patterns. The event also includes a volley club tournament and the annual Jam Off competition for homemade jams.

“Berkeley Jam” 2026: Free Juggling + Circus Arts Festival

✨ We’re so back! The Berkeley Juggling Club warmly invites you to the 2026 Berkeley Jam 🍓🫶🍊

🎪 A Day of Juggling & Circus Arts
📍 Willard Park, Berkeley
📅 Sunday, September 20th, 2026
🕛 11am – 5pm ish

Join us for a free, super chill, one-day gathering in Willard Park to celebrate one of the last days of summer before the Autumn Equinox!

Whether you’re passing clubs, spinning props, riding a unicycle, sharing tricks, or learning to juggle for the first time, there’s no better way to welcome a new season than with friends, old and new, in the park 🎪🧡

🤹‍♀️ Expect workshops, skill shares, open jams, volley club, and games. Stay tuned for the workshop schedule!

🍓 Participate in the Jam Off! Bring homemade jam to enter the competition and be ready to taste and vote for your favorite

Reach out with any questions! We look forward to learning, passing and jammin together 🤹🤹‍♀️

We’re excited to see everyone at the Berkeley Jam on Sunday, September 20th from 11am – 5pm at Willard Park (2730 Hillegass Ave) in Berkeley. Look for the jugglers on the big grassy lawn!

Location & Getting There
  • Street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood.
  • The park is also accessible via public transit: ~20 minute walk from Downtown Berkeley or Ashby Bart Station, as well as a ~5 min walk from the 22, 6, 51B, or 27 AC transit bus lines.
  • Willard Park has bathrooms and water fountains.
Schedule
  • 11 am: Event starts
  • 12:30 – 1pm: Workshop Block #1: Intro to Juggling, and Right-Left, Left-Right passing patterns
  • 1:15 – 1:45pm: Workshop Block #2: Intro to Poi, and Funky Box Variations
  • 2 – 2:30pm: Workshop Block #3: Think Inside the (Cigar) Box, and Mixed Chocolates & Whirling Dervish Passing
  • 3pm: Games with Elan
  • 5pm: Event ends
Workshop Descriptions
 
  • Intro to Juggling: This beginner workshop will teach the foundations of ball juggling, focusing on techniques and drills to begin your juggle journey.

  • Right Left, Left Right Passing with Stephane: Come learn double and triple variations while passing 6 clubs. This workshop will explore double, triple and quad throws from both hands in 4-count, 3-count, and 2-count variations, as well as how to apply it to a 3-person feeding pattern. Want a sneak peak? Check out this resource guide!

  • Intro to Poi with Dominic: Learn the basics of poi spinning! In this workshop, Dominic will be teaching the fundamental building blocks of poi spinning. If you’ve never spun poi before, or are still relatively new, or just want to review some key exercises, then this is the class for you!

  • Funky Box Variations with Yonah: Come learn some funky box variations with juggling balls! While we won’t be unpacking Pandora’s box, we’ll introduce the broken and burst variations. Have fun catching and throwing under your arm while having your brain in a twist. All levels welcome, but having a solid shower pattern will be helpful.

  • Think Inside the Box with Zeej:  Old prop, new possibilities. Learn the history and basics of cigar box juggling through flips, grips, turns, takeouts, tumbles, and tosses. We’ll start with the strange physics of a single box, build up to classic three-box manipulation, then invent tricks of our own. By the end, beginners should understand: You don’t need to memorize a hundred cigar-box tricks. Most cigar-box juggling comes from a few simple ideas: hold → release → turn → catch → change grip → recombine. No box experience needed but do bring your own boxes if you have them!

  • Mixed Chocolates & Whirling Dervish Passing Patterns with Jed: This workshop will explore two different multi-person passing patterns. Mixed Chocolates is a 3 person passing pattern (with either balls or clubs) and requires experience with chocolate bar passing (pass, pass, self, self) plus some capability with angles. Variations include rotating the pattern, as well as the more advanced “Mixed Chocolate Mocha” which uses ¾ passing. Whirling Dervish is a rotating 4-count club passing pattern that can be run with 4-7 people. Variations include rotating out the person in the middle, aka the Dervish.

 
Volley Club
  • Love Volley Club? Never played? There will be nets set up at the Jam
  • Feeling competitive? Sign up for the tournament!
Jam Off
  • The Jam Off is on! Please bring homemade jam, jellies or marmalades to enter, and get ready to taste and vote on your favorite jamz. Last year was a landslide with Lynnette’s spicy jalapeno peach jam!

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.


Cost: FREE
Categories: *Top Pick*, Community, Fairs & Festivals, Fun & Games, In Person, Lectures & Workshops, Outdoors
Venue: Willard Park
Address: 2730 Hillegass Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705

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