The New York City Unicycle Festival returned from August 28 through August 31, 2025, for four days of distance rides, instruction, games, and performance across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Presented by Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, the free 16th annual event brought recreational riders, professionals, newcomers, and spectators together on routes that ended in Times Square and Coney Island before the weekend program settled at Pier 76.
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What to Know
Two Distance Rides Opened the Festival
Thursday's roughly 10-mile ride began at Pier A, followed the Hudson River Greenway, circled Central Park, and descended Broadway to Times Square. Friday's Brooklyn Unicycle Day crossed the Brooklyn Bridge and continued through Prospect Park and along Ocean Parkway to Coney Island.
Pier 76 Became the Weekend Hub
Saturday and Sunday programming ran from noon to 5 p.m. at Hudson River Park's Pier 76. The open format included learn-to-ride sessions, games, relays, workshops, demonstrations, and unicycle basketball.
The King Charles Troupe Returned
The troupe's basketball performance connected the festival to a Black circus tradition that began in the Bronx. Its combination of precise riding, athletic play, and theatrical timing remained one of the weekend's signature attractions.
Beginners Shared Space With Specialists
UniFest treated unicycling as transportation, recreation, competitive sport, and performing art. Clinics gave first-time riders a point of entry while long rides and demonstrations tested the control of experienced participants.
Participation Required Preparation
Riders were required to complete the festival waiver, and organizers encouraged helmets, water, snacks, and careful attention to personal limits. The official UniFest site maintains schedules and participation guidance.