The D.C. Festival of Magic returns this weekend to the Capital Hilton.
The three-day festival includes performances from professional magicians from around the country, including top slight-of-hand artist Eric DeCamps and magician Chris Capehart, who got his start as a street performer in New York City and has since fooled Penn and Teller twice on their show “Fool Us!”
“He is absolutely funny. Just spit-take funny. He’s really great,” said festival host Brian Curry, a D.C.-based mentalist.
Capehart will be performing a family-friendly show Sunday at 3 p.m.
Curry said the idea for the magic festival originated four years ago as just a “silly idea.” This year, over 1,000 people are expected to attend.
In an age when you can search anything on your phone, Curry said people are drawn to magic because it offers some mystery.
“Not that long ago, you couldn’t Google anything and find out the answer. But now you just ask Siri or you ask your phone, and it will tell you anything in the world. So not knowing how something is done, there’s a sense of wonder or mystery that you don’t really get very often anymore. And I think that’s why it’s kind of having a big resurgence now, in my opinion,” Curry said.
Curry himself performs regularly at the Capital Hilton, which is a partner of the event. But he’s careful to tell the audience, that it’s (whisper) fake.
“I was raised Catholic. I’ve got that Catholic guilt through and through, and I know that it’s not right to pretend to be a mind reader,” he said.
The D.C. Festival of Magic runs Friday through Sunday night.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
