The Fern Street Circus has been operating in City Heights since 2014, offering free circus training and performances to local families.

City Heights

Fern Street Circus, a nonprofit organization based in City Heights, San Diego, provides a free after-school program focused on circus arts for children. The program, operating at the former Central Elementary School site since 2023, aims to connect with families and build a sense of community through performance and education.

In addition to teaching circus skills, the program offers a family service component where parents can participate and learn practical skills such as gardening, financial literacy, and computer basics. The organization emphasizes understanding and meeting the needs of both children and their families to help improve their lives.

Circus nonprofit builds community through free after-school program

These kids are frolicking at the Fern Street Circus in City Heights. I decided to come to Fern Street 10 years ago to bring my kids to the after school program. I fell in love with the program and with the mission and the vision that they have. We believe that circus can exist and operate for a greater good. John Heiken is the executive director of the non-profit. We both perform in neighborhoods especially with professional circus and musical and variety artists and we teach circus free of charge. Heiken says Fern Street Circus has been in City Heights since 2014. The non-profit's after school circus program has been at the former Central Elementary School site since 2023. Of course the foundation of it is teaching circus or performing circus so that's kind of the key that opens the door to our connection to families. It was something welcoming something really nice for me and my family to be part of something great. Marcella Mercado who is the program director at Fern Street Circus says kids aren't just learning circus craft here. She tells me their parents can also take part in the family service program which can provide them other skills too. They wanted to build a garden, they want to know about financials, they want to know a little bit of more computer so that's something that I'm kind of overlooking with Naxiel who's our social work educator. It's getting to know the the kids, getting to know their parents, getting a sense of what can help improve their lives. Ryan Hill, ABC 10 News.

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