October is almost here which means the annual tradition of Carnival of 5 Fires First Friday kickoff at Gallery5! 

PLF will once again close down the side street beside G5 for the Pyro Circus to host, honor, showcase, and celebrate the art of fire performance and flow arts with some of the most skilled, diverse, and amazing performers while adding circus arts, dance, visual projection, and flame effect sculptures in the mix...all with some of our finest DJs and music producers to supply your sonic soundtrack for the evening!

Please join us on the street and then when that ends around 10:30pm we will all head inside Gallery5 to the main stage area for a PLF First Friday Dance Party to take out the night! 

(don't forget to check out the upstairs group art show and G5 Bizarre Market)

This is always a FREE community event and we encourage everyone to join us in our liberation efforts.

PYRO CIRCUS STREET SHOW (7pm-10:30pm):
So much gratitude to all of the wonderful fire and flow performance artists that donate their time, energy, and skills to this FREE community event!

DJs:
Maestro ( PLF, DC)
https://soundcloud.com/mattayye

Will Miles ( ELM, AUS, RVA )
https://soundcloud.com/will-miles

Akasha ( PLF, WCG, RVA )
https://soundcloud.com/akasha-1

Special Group Performance by: 
Circular Expressions

Fire sculptures:
Gon
MORE TBA

Food truck by
Go Go Vegan Go

PLF FIRST FRIDAY DANCE PARTY
(main stage inside Gallery5-11pm-2am)

Alicia Roxx ( PLF, RVA ) 
https://soundcloud.com/alicia-roxx

Reinhold ( PLF, RVA ) 
https://soundcloud.com/jreinhold

Beatkitty ( PLF, NY )
https://soundcloud.com/thebeatkitty


🗣PYRO CIRCUS ANNOUNCEMENT FOR FIRE PERFORMERS :‼️
♨️ PLF is excited to invite you all to come share our passion for fire performance!
🙏We are honored to be able to continue the tradition of hosting this special First Friday community event.
⭐️If you are planning to join us in fire performing on the street in our designated circle, there are a few things to be aware of as we come together to share creative skills, showcase moves, and spotlight this performance art we love so much.
⭐️there will be TWO safety class at 6:30pm before the fire spinning starts and one at 8:30pm, so please be present and on time for this. In order to perform with fire you must attend ONE of the scheduled safety meetings and sign a waiver that we provide at the meeting.
⭐️crowd experienced performers only.
⭐️all props must be in good working order. tighten all screws, trim all frays on wicks, check all quick-links and quick-wicks, etc. we will be inspecting all props.
⭐️wear only natural fibers while spinning fire. synthetic fabrics can melt into the skin and cause severe injury. You will NOT be permitted to perform if you are wearing synthetic fabrics. We also ask that you don’t wear anything overly frayed or lacey while performing. no fabrics/scarves around the face area.
⭐️all long hair must be tied back.
⭐️with the exception of fire breathing, we will only be using white gas (naptha, camp fuel). fire breathing performances will be held until last, as lamp oil tends to make the performance area slick for other spinners. PLF will provide white gas for performers to use during the event.
⭐️there will be a sign up sheet to keep the performers organized. please know who is going before and after you at all times and keep the communication flowing. the sign up sheet fills up pretty quickly so be alert!
⭐️all participants are asked to take a turn as a safety volunteer. It’s a great way to contribute, even if you don’t want to burn! We will provide brightly colored safety vests and fire-retardant cloth
duvetynes. You get the best seats to the show!
⭐️bring your own cup! there will be water, homemade snacks, and other refreshments provided.

*brief history of 13+ years of fire performance at G5:
On April 15th, 2005 the former firehouse (Steamer Company Firehouse Number 5, the oldest standing firehouse in Virginia) re-opened its doors as Gallery5 with the mission of becoming a hub for showcasing and nourishing all the wonderful, diverse circles of creativity in this city! 

The first event was the Gallery5 Grand Opening/RVA Magazine kickoff party. Hundreds of people flooded the space with over 40 visual artists from all mediums, Djs, bands, dance performances inside the walls, and FIRE performance in front of the space. 

The handful of fire performers at that time called themselves " The River City Burners" and were the first to bring the art of fire performance in Richmond out in the open for a wider audience to appreciate, support, and learn more about by offering "spin jams", workshops, and fire safety classes.

After a couple of years, Party Liberation Front formed and organically inherited organizing this aspect of First Friday at Gallery5. For about 10 years now, PLF has been closing down the side street to provide a broader space for fire performers to share and showcase their skills while adding other elements of creativity to the arena to bring it all to where it is today.

Now with the formation and support of the Party Liberation Foundation (501(c)3 non-profit), facilitation of art creation, art/performance education, and free public events such as the Pyro Circus can be nurtured to greater heights. 

Thank you all for your continued support. We wouldn't be here if not for you.

photo by David Morton