- Education & Understanding – To provide educational resources related the circus. To promote an understanding and appreciation of the art of the circus.
- Communication – To be a point of contact between the people of the circus, artists or executives, and the outside world.
- Support – To help ensure the Circus will continue to exist among us as a social, educational and recreational art form. Visit our Calendar page to view support events.
- Preservation – The National Circus Preservation Society (NCPS) is a 501(c)(3) not for profit organization affiliated with CFA. Its main goal is to develop, promote, and advance information and knowledge for a better understanding of the American Circus, and to preserve the circus as part of American history.
- Publishing – CFA has been publishing The White Tops, the official magazine of the CFA, since 1928.
An excerpt from our Constitution…
1. We who love the circus, bind ourselves together as a nonprofit organization to make an organized effort to create interest in the circus as an institution. We believe in the circus as an important part of the performing arts and having great education values. We dedicate ourselves together in the hope of forming fast friendships and to make an organized effort to assist all circuses. We further dedicate ourselves to preserve for future generations this beloved institution known as the CIRCUS.ARTICLE IT, PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES
- The purpose of this Association founded in 1926 and its objectives shall be:
- To preserve the circus as an art form and entertainment institution by educating the general public through lectures, seminars, and circus literature and publicity that truthfully portrays the circus and its people; and to promote goodwill between the public and all worthy circuses and circus people; and to oppose vigorously any publicity that tends to distort, misrepresent or give to the general public a false impression of an honorable and colorful institution; and
- To oppose actively all unjust or discriminatory legislation, whether the same be local, state or federal, directed against the circus and to lend aid and assistance to the circus in overcoming local unfavorable conditions that confront the circus; and
- To decline courteously to accept any favor offered or extended by any circus or its management that would not be extended to the general public and to observe faithfully our motto — “We pay as we go;” and
- To lend reasonable aid when and as requested by the representatives or management of any circus and cheerfully assist in overcoming any unfavorable conditions.