Isabella Diaz-Mira | Managing Photo Editor

Teetering on top of one another in a human pyramid, seven strangers began to juggle. This was the grand finale in the acrobatic juggling workshop that kicked off this year’s Jugglefest festivities. Jugglefest, WashU’s annual juggling festival, returns for a successful second year post-hiatus. As the largest free juggling club in the St. Louis area, WashU Juggling welcomes enthusiasts of any level. This year’s theme, a new addition to Jugglefest, centered on space. 

Jugglefest highlights local St. Louis talent alongside students. In fact, the majority of acts weren’t student groups. Aside from WashU Juggling and YoWU, WashU’s Chinese yo-yo club, the show featured master performers such as Jason D’Vaude, Circus Harmony, and Kellin Quinn (a former WashU Juggling alum). From seven-club juggling to balancing five rods, synchronized passes, and silk arts, the performers mixed juggling and gymnastics to wow audiences.

“You get to see firsthand, not just from YouTube, the cool tricks people are capable of,” said sophomore Matthew Gu, a choreographer for Juggling Club.

In a change from the single-day festival in 2026, this year’s festivities spanned two days. On Friday night, attendees learned how to juggle in Wrighton Hall, and on Saturday morning, the activities expanded. WashU Juggling hired a myriad of juggling professionals to teach club juggling, acrobatics, performing tricks, balancing, and more.

First-year Yoyo Ji, who attends WashU Juggling open practices, leveled up her skills at the tricks with clubs workshop, which she found to be very welcoming.

Workshops alternated between juggling games and workshops to open gyms, as the club warmed up for the pièce de résistance of Jugglefest: the St. Louis Showcase.

The club’s intergenerational connections lay the groundwork for the event, defining their circle, with many alumni assisting with tasks from paperwork to tricks. After the festival’s comeback last October, the club jumped into planning in May. WashU alum Thom Wall, one of the founders of the original Jugglefest, and alum and former club president Grant Kaplan continued to help President Curtis Schnieders with the months-long process of sending emails, contracting the performers, and reserving space for the activities.

“By nature, [juggling] forms a very close-knit community that’s very social and collaborative,”  Schnieders said.

With a tangible dedication to the art and to Jugglefest, WashU Juggling continues its decades-long role as a St. Louis hub for jugglers. Half of the attendees weren’t WashU affiliated, yet juggling transcended any divisions or awkwardness amongst the mix of students, alumni, and beginners. 

“Juggling is definitely a hobby where you cannot be afraid to fail,” Schnieders said. “At every open gym at Jugglefest, and in juggling club in general, everyone is willing to teach each other.” 

With their largest event behind them, WashU Juggling will open in the spring for various student group performances. Schnieders mentioned plans for future performances at a capella and improv shows as the club aims to expand their reach.

Though ideas and performers for next year’s Jugglefest linger in the club’s mind, they’re now focused on improving their skills for the year. On Monday nights from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Wrighton Hall, the club hosts their open practices. Amidst exams, papers, and labs, learning to perform a simple three-ball cascade or a trick such as Mills Mess might be the perfect study break for a WashU student.