Are they students trying to juggle too much or amateur performers with a high-flying hobby? Its atoss-upwhen the fifth annual West Virginia Juggling Festival takes place June 4-6 at West Virginia University.

The festival, sponsored by the WVU Juggling Club, features a free show on Saturday, June 5, at 8 p.m., in the Gladys G. Davis Theatre at the Creative Arts Center. Acts will include past and present WVU students Adam Leatherman, Laura Spengler, Jeremy Stanley,DiaboloJosh Stevenson and Jamie Whoolery. The club also hopes to bring in a professional, out-of-town performer.

In addition, there will be a juggling equipment vendor, open gym, free observation area and various instructional workshops on three-ball juggling, footbag kicks and stalls, club passing and diabolo tricks for all ages and skill levels at the Student Recreation Center.

The festival wraps up Sunday, June 6, with the Jugglympics, in which participants will compete in Juggling Limbo, Simon Says, Diabolo Speed Pass and other events for trophies.

Juggling is a great group activity,said Spengler, WVU Juggling Club president.You meet people, and it also does silly things like use parts of the brain you havent used. Its fun to watch. Its really an amazing thing. Shows like Cirque du Soleil always have phenomenal people. All you have to do is see someone like that, and you say, �€~Wow, I really want to do it.

The festival is open to the public. There is a one-time $4 fee that includes access to all juggling areas. Admission is free to WVU students attending summer school.

The WVU Juggling Club, which was founded in the spring of 1998, currently boasts 15 students. During the fall and spring semesters, meetings are held from 7-9 p.m. Mondays in the Gluck Theatre.

Anyone can attend. In fact, its a great activity for little kids,said Spengler, who has been juggling for five years.This semester, we had a 10-year-old and 12-year-old, and they can juggle and do tricks that I cant do. Sometimes their parents come with them.

A schedule of events is included below. On the Net:http://www.angelfire.com/wv/jugglingfest/

Juggling Festival Schedule

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*Friday, June 4

3-4 p.m.WV Special Olympics Demo WVU Coliseum parking lot

5-9 p.m.Open Gym

Saturday, June 5

8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.Open Gym

8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.Workshops

Noon-1 p.m.WV Special Olympics Demo WVU Coliseum parking lot

8 p.m.The Show, Gladys G. Davis TheatreCreative Arts Center

Sunday, June 6

10 a.m.-6 p.m.Open Gym

NoonJugglympics