The Great Zucchini Brings Kids' Comedy to Fall Festival

Take your kids to see The Great Zucchini at the Fall Festival in Cherry Hill Park on Saturday morning. The popular children's entertainer, whose real name is Eric Knaus, has been entertaining young kids through his hands-on, interactive magic shows for 15 years.

Learn more about Saturday's performance in this Q&A with Knaus.

Have you performed at the Fall Festival before?

I've been doing the Falls Church events for a few years now, and I really like their festivals. They are festive, easy to get around, the families that come are always terrific fun and I enjoy being a part of them very much. Jenny, the director of events there, does an outstanding job.

How did you first become interested in entertaining young children as a magician?

I was a preschool teacher for about 14 years and then I was working at Discovery Zone and all of the parents were coming in and requesting me to do all of their kids' parties as a party host. I realized that I could do this on my own.

How have your magic shows evolved over the past 15 years? What elements have you added or changed to stay relevant and appeal to the next generation of youngsters?

Staying relevant is easy for me. There are certain staples in my show that kids want to see again and again, like a toilet that squirts water on them. In June alone, I had 54 shows. I do a lot of public shows, probably for 35 charities a year. I use my platform to raise money, which I’m very proud of.

What sets you apart from other children’s entertainers in the area (aside from being D.C.’s #1 entertainer for young children)? What makes your performances unique?

The thing about my show is that if you bring in a regular magician for a preschooler, they would be out the door in two seconds flat. It would make the kids nervous. There's a psychology that goes into my show. It's not really a magic show – it's more like stand-up comedy for preschoolers. It's silly, it's fun and it's interactive. The kids are on the edge of their seats. It's been the number one show for over 12 years. It’s a very popular show.

What do you love most about being The Great Zucchini?

It's a show that I'm really excited about. I have a ball doing it. Parents tell me that they see their kids doing impressions of me in their living room. It's the only brand name children's entertainment show in the city.

Click here for more information on The Great Zucchini.

Saturday, Sept. 17, 11:00 a.m.; Free
312 Park Ave.; (703) 248-5001