Unicycle Festival comes to Jackson Heights

The festival is produced by the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, an arts organization founded in 1995 that focuses on circus, sideshow and vaudeville in New York City and the Hudson Valley. Keith Nelson, 56, co-founder of Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, has helped produce the festival since the beginning. 'I've been doing circus for 30-some years, so being around unicycles was a part of my life,' Nelson said about getting involved with unicycles. 'But I was much more of a juggler and prop manipulator, and then in my late 30s, fell in love with unicycles.' The first festival took place in 2010 at Governors Island. Since then, it's bounced around a little, taking place at Manhattan's Pier 76 in the past, until landing in Jackson Heights this year. The first of two group rides took place on Sept. 3 in Manhattan, from Battery Park to Central Park. The following day, riders went from the Brooklyn Bridge to Coney Island. Sept. 5 and 6's festivities included the actual street festival on 34th Avenue in Queens, during NYC Open Streets. Between 93rd and 94th Streets, the block was packed with unicycle fans. On one end was a pile of unicycles, meant for new riders to learn on. On the other end, an assortment of wacky bikes and unicycles lay for anyone to try out. Some of the wheeled machines included a unicycle with the wheel and tire taken from a race car, a bike with inverted steering (you turn right and the front wheel goes left), and extra-tall 'giraffe' unicycles, alongside many others. No matter the specifics of the ride, an interest in unicycles was the unifying factor for all the attendees. The festival's pull extends past the five boroughs. Tony Carrano, 41, drove down from Hudson, in Columbia County. He estimated he has attended close to 10 unicycle festivals, starting around 2011 or 2012. Carrano said he came to the sport by accident. He impulse-bought a unicycle years ago and posted about it on Facebook, and a friend told him about the Chatham Unicycle Club, which met on Sundays for two-hour rides. 'It's a great place to learn, and that's where I met Keith,' Carrano said. Also at the festival were Alessia Succes, 15, and Ilaria Succes, 13, sisters who recalled being introduced to the world of unicycles through their mother's love for the circus. They later attended their first unicycle festival at ages 7 and 5, quickly falling in love with the pastime. 'You'll probably fall a few times, I fell, but it wasn't that bad. You'll be really happy once you learn how to do it,' Ilaria said, giving advice to those interested in learning how to ride a unicycle. 'Don't get discouraged. It's gonna take a long time, but keep going,' Alessia said. Above the commotion, David Halper, 21, was seen riding around on his extra-tall unicycle. The vehicle, which he built himself, consisted of three wheels stacked on top of one another, using the friction between the wheels to move the unicycle. Even with years above the wheel, the height took some adjusting to get used to. 'It's like starting from scratch because it has a completely different feel,' Halper said. 'It's a lot taller, so it's a lot more scary. I'm still scared every time I go on it, even a little bit, you know.' Next year's festivities will be held the week of Labor Day, according to Nelson. Anyone interested in learning more can find more information at the NYC Unicycle Festival website, nycunifest.com. Nelson said the festival is 'an event that just brings a bunch of us wackadoodles together to have fun and roll, while at the same time creating a thing where other folks can be turned on to the joy and wonder of unicycling for the first time.'