The Renaissance Festival has a long history of hosting weird and wacky shows. The first fair started in California in 1962, and was originally planned as a fundraiser for a local radio station. The fair ended up being more successful than the team that founded it intended, which is why the Renaissance Festival is still around today, staging events around the world. Each fair now boasts over a quarter of a million visitors every year and generates around $2 million.

During my visit, I interviewed Melissa Arleth. Her show, Cirque du Sewer, features rats and cats doing tricks. Arleth has a long history of performing. Her first performance was when she was 11 in a third-grade school play. She studied theater and performance arts throughout college and started to do acts at small locations and theme parks. Arleth started adopting rats and cats to include in her shows. She began booking “Cirque du Sewer” at Renaissance Fairs, outdoor festivals and bigger theme parks. She decided to leave her acting program early, moving on to bigger performances with her assistant, Vitaly.

 Over the years, Arleth has appeared on “The Gong Show,” “Nickelodeon Unleashed” and “America’s Got Talent” where she got a standing ovation from all four judges! Her shows are truly amazing, entertaining displays of talent and good cheer. The feats and hijinks of her four-legged friends are cute and impressive exercises of agility and fun.

If you attend the Renaissance Festival, look for the stage that has a miniature obstacle course on it and the lady with the brightly striped tights. You will truly enjoy Arleth and her stars of the Cirque du Sewer!

PHOTO CREDIT: cirquedusewershow.com