Hello, Bases & Flyers!

Spooky season just wrapped and I know many of you out there nailed some ridiculous group shapes in costumes. LA rolled through in onesies so of course, we did our part.

So fun fact, I didn’t start with acro. I started with pole as a joke with my freshman college roommate and then got hooked.

So this week, along with your acro calendar, we’re shining a little spotlight on related festivals: circus, pole, flow arts, conscious gatherings, and handstand fests. Most of us cross these worlds at some point, so it feels right to make space for them here.

So expect in today’s issue:

— Cat Xu @acroinsiders

(For the spontaneous among us — these all start in the next two weeks.)

🧘 = Retreat | 🎪 = Festival | 🏋️ = Intensive | 💫 = Event
🎓 = Teacher Training | ⭐ = Popular | 😿 = Sold Out

NYC brings the heat with this multi-day acro and movement gathering inside the iconic CirqueHaus home studio. Expect full days of partner acrobatics, handstands, flexibility, acro-dance, and open training sessions guided by some of the strongest teachers in the scene. There are pre-fest intensives, a stacked weekend workshop lineup, and an evening circus showcase that always packs the house.

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📍 Circus Festival Ireland | Tralee, Ireland, Europe | Nov 6–9 | Circus & acro
A long-running gathering for circus, acrobatics, and physical theater with workshops, shows, and community sessions. Mixes pro-level teaching with open jams and evening performances.

📍 Co:Nectar Festival | Tenerife, Spain, Europe | Nov 8 | Conscious movement & wellness
One-day island gathering blending movement, breathwork, meditation, music, and community circles. A softer, grounding reset if you're pairing acro with introspective practice.

📍 Handstand Mini Fiesta Valencia | Valencia, Spain, Europe | Nov 8–9 | Handstands
A focused weekend for handstand practice and technique. Coaches, drills, and lots of floor time in a friendly training environment.

📍 Zen Awakening Festival | Fruitland Park, Florida, USA | Nov 13–16 | Yoga, flow & music
A four-day campout centered on movement, music, and inner work. Expect yoga, live bands and DJs, breathwork, flow arts, meditation tents, fire circles, workshops.

📍 Big Top Fest | Athens, Greece, Europe | Nov 15–16 | Circus & aerial | FREE ENTRY!
A weekend under a fresh big-top tent built for circus shows with live music, open workshops, social-circus talks, a cabaret night, and a full-on Balkan brass band. There’s space to jam, try new skills, and connect with circus folks.

📍 Höstglöd Contemporary Circus Training | Långared, Sweden, Europe | Nov 21–23 | Circus & acro
Training-focused weekend in a rural studio centered on contemporary circus skills, floor movement, and partner acro training.

📍 World Pole Art Championship | Cape Town, South Africa, Africa | Nov 28–30 | Pole
International pole competition with top athletic and artistic performers on stage. Strong global talent and polished routines.

📍 Bangkok Handstand Festival | Bangkok, Thailand, Asia | Nov 30 | Handstands
Single-day handstand gathering with technique blocks, conditioning, and a training crowd from across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Want to submit an event for our next edition? Fill out this form.

Bonfire Night / Guy Fawkes Night | United Kingdom | Nov 5
Featured in V for Vendetta, this is a national fireworks and bonfire event commemorating the 1605 Gunpowder Plot with effigies and firework displays.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade | New York City, USA | Nov 27
One of America’s most iconic holiday parades featuring giant balloons, floats, marching bands and Broadway stars winding through Manhattan for Thanksgiving.

Kuningan Day | Bali, Indonesia | Nov 29
The final day of the Galungan celebration when Balinese Hindus honour ancestral spirits returning to the earth with offerings, rituals, and cultural dance.

I get asked a lot what I pack, book, and use on the road. Here’s the shortlist all tested over years going around the globe.

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Thanks for reading! If this issue helped you plan your next acro adventure, forward it to your crew — the more of us on one list, the better it gets.

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Next week: December’s events and where to squeeze in training before holiday food season hits.

Until then, warm up before you try the weird stuff!
— Cat Xu
Connect with me? @acroinsiders