The red noses are on, the trunks are unpacked, and the camp is alive with color, laughter, and the sound of squeaky shoes—it’s official, Mooseburger Clown Arts Camp 2025 has begun!
Campers from all over the country (and even a few from beyond!) arrive in Annandale, Minnesota throughout the afternoon, hauling in suitcases stuffed with costumes, props, puppets, and the occasional uninflated balloon animal. The check-in area was buzzing as old friends hugged and new friends introduced themselves, all while a man serenaded us with tunes on a barrel organ.
After settling into our cabins, we gather back in the main hall for the welcome session with Miss Moose herself, Pricilla Mooseburger, who reminds us why we’re there: to learn, to grow, and to share joy in a world that needs it more than ever. She introduces the staff and lays out the week’s schedule, which promises a whirlwind of classes in makeup, costuming, skits, improvisation, juggling, balloon twisting, and—most importantly—how to connect with an audience from the heart.
After the Orientation and Course Preview, we head to the dining hall for dinner. Dinner was loud (in the best way) as everyone swapped introductions and stories over food. The evening ended with an opening night Makeup Demo and All Star Staff Show from our instructors, giving us a taste of the magic we’ll be working toward all week.
(Christopher Hudert, Staff member and former Ringling Clown)
As the sun set, excited yet sleepy clown campers wandered back to their rooms, still talking about the staff show and which workshops they wanted to take tomorrow. In my cabin, there are clown campers of all types and levels of experience from all over the map. There's a new rodeo clown from San Antonio, Texas, a second year clown camper from Alabama, others are there from Iowa, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and one from Toronto, Canada.
The overall vibe? Joyful. Excited. A little nervous. But mostly, full of anticipation—because Day 1 has only just cracked open the door to the world we’re about to step into together.
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