Circus of Smiles

Oakland, United States

5

12 reviews

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 510-698-2721
Website:
www.circusofsmiles.org
Address:
2435 Palmetto St, Oakland, CA, 94602
b/t Boston Ave & Lincoln Ave
Lower Hills
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.4 miPark Blvd & Hollywood Ave
0.4 miPark Blvd & Dolores Ave
0.5 miPark Blvd & Trestle Glen Rd
Categories:
QR code
Download QR Image Download vCard

Map

Streetview

Activate map

Bussiness info

Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (Oakland) 09:33 Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Circus, Arts Education, Clowning, Clown Instruction, After School Enrichment, Performance, Event Entertainment

History

Established in 2011.

The idea for Circus of Smiles was hatched in the back of a taxi cab in Indonesia. After two weeks of vacationing, founders Tyler & Paula decided they wanted to spend the rest of their time abroad interacting with locals & giving back to the communities they were visiting. They dumped their travel plans, rented a motorbike, & spent the next two months offering performances to schools & orphanages across Indonesia & Thailand.

In the fall of 2012, they traveled to South America for two months of teaching, performing, & inspiring youth. They partnered with schools, orphanages, shelters & rural community centers in Argentina & Uruguay. During the two month tour they offered more than 30 performances & workshops to 700 children.

In the US, Circus of Smiles specializes in offering event entertainment & enrichment classes. We build custom circus experiences for company picnics, weddings, & other large scale events. A percentage of every booking fee supports our outreach efforts abroad.

Meet the Business Owner

Tyler P.

Business Owner

Tyler loves to laugh and is thrilled to be spreading joy through the performance arts. Tyler earned a Masters degree in Education and has been teaching circus and clowning for more than 10 years. He has taught for some of the premier circus institutions in the US, including: The Prescott Circus, Kinetic Arts Center, and Circus Smirkus. Tyler is also one of the founding members of the internationally acclaimed sensation, Pi: The Physical Comedy Troupe. When not teaching or performing circus Tyler films and edits promotional reels for circus artists; some would call him our mastermind of marketing.

Related places

You might also consider:
1
mi
Belly Dance Tribal Style w/ Frederique
East Bay Dance Center 1318 Glenfield Ave (Lower Hills, Glenview)
1
mi
Moonlight Entertainment
1808 Leimert Ave (Lower Hills)
1
mi
Acb Ballroom Dance School
1318 Glenfield Ave (Lower Hills, Glenview)
1
mi
Oakland Ballet School
2968 MacArthur Blvd (Lower Hills)
1
mi
Danielle Charboneau - Suzuki Method Violin Lessons
(Lower Hills, Dimond District)
1
mi
Glenview Performing Arts Center
1318 Glenfield Ave (Lower Hills, Glenview)

Nearby

Near this location:
30
ft
Pilc Robert J
3982 Fruitvale Ave
810
ft
Law Office of Sandra Banks
3941 Lincoln Ave
840
ft
Stereo City
596 S E St
920
ft
Cottage In the Woods Pre-School
3917 Lyman Rd
920
ft
A W Phillips & Sons Landscaping
2414 Carmel St
930
ft
David Miller Ph.D.
4141 Fruitvale Ave

12 reviews of Circus of Smiles

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Walnut Creek, CA
My kids have been going to Circus of Smiles for around 3 years, and they still love it, still passionate about it. They come home and show me all the tricks they’ve learned!
My youngest son used to be very shy, and this class has definitely helped him come out of his shell and find his self confidence.
This is a great program with great people behind it!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I have put on two events so far that I’ve had CoS participate in (so far) and each time they were a joy to work with. Not only do I feel great about using a vendor that does some good, but they are professional, punctual, flexible, and fun. I used face painters for both events (one black light and one regular) and my guests LOVED it. Still talk about them in fact. It’s a great way to bring a little extra something to an event (for adults OR children) and they work with you to make sure its the best event possible. I highly recommend them for your event.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I first saw Circus of Smiles at the Academy of Sciences, they were one of the shows during the Halloween event. They were so good! I decided to reach out to them for my twin’s 7th birthday party. I hired a beautiful fairy, Bri, who not only did amazing face painting but also performed for thirty minutes and the show was awesome! She came so well prepared, with great tricks. I was looking for something original and I got it. Entertaining, beautiful costume, funny, professional, on time, flexible. The kids said it was their favorite part of the party, thank you Bri!
Place rating: 5
Orinda, CA
The Circus of Smiles team came to our Cub Scout Pack Meeting last week and delivered a FABULOUS presentation on cooperation and comic skits! The kids had a great time, learned some great routines, and each boy got his very own red nose at the end. It was one of our very best pack meetings, and made a lot of good memories.
Place rating: 5
Burlingame, CA
Paula and her team performed at a Halloween cocktail party for us– spooking guests as they walked up a path into the venue. They were beyond fabulous! They made a big impression on our guests and set the tone for the haunted house theme just perfectly (and some guests were truly terrified!)Their performance was perfect. They were professional, had amazing costumes and are truly talented. I can’t wait to have them at another event!
Place rating: 5
Fremont, CA
Paula and the Circus of Smiles team are amazing. They handled multiple day events and multiple entertainers at events with amazing ease. The variety talents brought by their artist plus the professionalism they bring will make your event, an event to be remembered.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I was really impressed with the Circus of Smiles team! They were at our CALICO picnic and really involved the crowd and brought people in. I would love to have them again at our picnic next year! There were a lot of people interacting with them and having a great time.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Circus of Smiles did such a great job entertaining the kids and teenagers at our CALICO picnic last weekend. High energy, high entertainment and LOTS of smiles. Thanks Circus of Smiles!
Place rating: 5
Petaluma, CA
I am a children’s librarian at the Napa Library where Tyler and Andrew came and performed 6 shows for our main library and branches with audiences ranging in size from 20−80+ people. They were fantastic! Both Tyler and Andrew engaged the entire audience; kids age 4 – 10 and their parents were laughing and eagerly participating in the show. It was a delight to have Circus of Smiles at our library. I highly recommend them!
Place rating: 5
Shingle Springs, CA
As the Youth Services Coordinator for the El Dorado Hills Library, I am always looking for high quality performers and entertainment and have officially struck gold with Circus of Smiles! They performed at our Spring Carnival this past weekend and brought so much joy and laughter to the event! Tyler and Paula are charming, hilarious, talented, and professional. I cannot wait to invite them back!
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
As the Enrichment Coordinator for my sons’ elementary school, it’s my job to select and schedule a variety of after school classes that meet the school community’s needs and interests, and that augment the learning opportunities provided during regular school hours. It can be especially challenging to find class providers who are a good fit for our values and culture. I’ve worked with about 30 Enrichment providers in my Coordinator role, and as far as I’m concerned, Circus of Smiles is the gold standard for Enrichment programs in the Bay Area. Their instructors are skilled, warm, caring, patient, talented, and beloved by our students. The classes they offer are consistently in the top 5% in terms of popularity and repeat enrollments. Their administrative staff are every bit as wonderful as the classes and instructors, going above and beyond to bring programs to our school to fill last-​minute needs in our schedule. At every level and point of contact, they make our safety and procedures requirements a top priority. They are more than contractors – they are loved and valued members of our community. I give them SIX stars.
Place rating: 5
San Leandro, CA
I had the pleasure of observing a class taught by Tyler in an Oakland school. In a room of about 20 kids, Tyler had a rapt audience — no small feat! He was leading a group of 5 kids in through a theater game where each student had to pretend the bucket was a different object. I could tell some of the kids felt uncomfortable being «on stage» but Tyler was able to make them feel comfortable by modeling some different ideas, all while being friendly and silly. In my 10 years in education, I was impressed with Tyler’s ease with managing a group and keeping everyone engaged. Sure the kids were having fun, but they were also working as a team and communicating through verbal and nonverbal cues. This was one of the best after school classes I’ve ever seen. Laughter, silliness, and new skill development with an implicit (yet all-​important) social-​emotional learning bend — I cannot recommend a better enrichment program.