![\"Amazing,](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/web-MAIN-Busker-1.jpg\")
Megan Madrigal, Seaport Village marketing director, has witnessed all of the previous Busker Festivals, and she recalls a few acts from the past that really stood out.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had an escape artist,\u201d she said. \u201cWe brought in a big boom and he went on top and hung upside down in a straight jacket and he had to get himself out of it. That was very interesting to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Madrigal said she was impressed by a contortionist who passed his entire body through the hole of a toilet seat, unhinging his shoulders to get through.<\/p>\n
She also said she enjoyed watching sword swallower Murrugun the Mystic, who still frequents the waterfront park to perform throughout the year, although he won\u2019t attend the festival this time.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s one of the few sword swallowers in the world. I think a lot of people think it\u2019s common, and it\u2019s really not. People who can actually swallow swords are few and far between,\u201d Madrigal said. \u201cDuring Buskers After Dark, he\u2019d let people staple tips to him, which is interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n With so many seemingly dangerous acts at the Busker Festival such as fire eaters, sword swallowers, contortionists, acrobats and escape artists hanging upside down, it seems accidents are bound to have happened over the event\u2019s 10-year span.<\/p>\n \u201cLuckily, we haven\u2019t had anything major go wrong. These people are extremely talented. What they do is not easy \u2026 They travel the world doing their specific act and they\u2019ve had a lot of practice,\u201d Madrigal said. \u201cI will say that people should not try this at home. They make it look easy, but it\u2019s not.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, Madrigal is especially excited about the many female buskers. \u201cSurprisingly, it\u2019s kind of hard to find the female acts,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Madrigal said Hillia Hula puts on an amazing show with hula hoops, including using a flaming hoop, which is quite colorful at night. Madrigal also mentioned Sara Kunz. \u201cShe\u2019s a Hawaiian native and she\u2019s got a really cool show and it ends with a big coconut palm tree in the middle, which is kind of intriguing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m also really interested in the dance-acrobatic groups,\u201d Madrigal said. \u201cThis year we have The Strength Project. It\u2019s a group of guys and they jump over people and they dance and it\u2019s just really energetic and entertaining and always seems to be a crowd favorite.\u201d<\/p>\n Madrigal is also looking forward to the performance of Skip Banks, \u201cThe Balloon Man.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really interesting. He blows up this gigantic balloon and he gets inside of it and it\u2019s hysterical,\u201d she said. \u201cHe pokes in and out. He runs around and does all these things. People love that show.\u201d<\/p>\n Here is a look at this weekend\u2019s competing acts:<\/p>\n Alex Clark<\/strong> is a comedian who punctuates his act with jaw-dropping tricks.<\/p>\n Circus Mafia,<\/strong> a travelling circus performance and production company, performs circus acts, contortion and hula hoop tricks.<\/p>\n Fantastic Patrick<\/strong> puts on a comedy show with incredible tricks for all ages.<\/p>\n Extreme Rahim<\/strong> is the king of clean comedy with uplifting and encouraging comedy accented by live magic.<\/p>\n Sam Malcolm<\/strong> combines stand-up comedy and world-class juggling skills with a grand finale involving knives and flaming torches.<\/p>\n Hillia Hula<\/strong> captivates audiences with super fast hula hooping and a giant rainbow slinky made of 50 hoops.<\/p>\n Skip Banks<\/strong>, \u201cThe Balloon Man,\u201d delivers laughs and awe as he puts himself inside a giant balloon.<\/p>\n Sara Kunz<\/strong> brings the Hawaiian vibe to audiences as she combines acrobatics, contortion, hula hoops and clown humor into one solo show.<\/p>\n The Strength Project<\/strong> puts on a show with acrobatic stunts, tumbling, break dancing, comedy and motivational speaking.<\/p>\n Non-competing buskers will also perform during the festival. These include Mitchell Walker, a didgeridoo player; Rabindra Sarkar, a Reiki master who builds towers by balancing and stacking rocks; and Eddy the Silver Statue, a performer who stands as still as a statue until someone gives him a tip.<\/p>\n Other events are scheduled in conjunction with the Busker Festival in The Headquarters open-air center. Eclectic DJ Mason Dyer will spin his high energy sets March 4 from noon to 4 p.m. Manny Cepeda and his salsa quartet will play March 5 from noon to 4 p.m.<\/p>\n Kelsey Montague will create a live mural in the center courtyard of The Headquarters. Montague\u2019s murals invite people to interact with her art, like standing in the middle of large painted butterfly wings, for example.<\/p>\n Para m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n visite seaportvillage.com<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Amazing,](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/web-Busker-2-200x300.jpg\")