The Great Zucchini Comes to Annandale

If you're looking for a way to keep your kids entertained this Saturday morning, take them to see the Great Zucchini at as part of the Arts in the Parks summer entertainment series. The Great Zucchini, whose real name is Eric Knaus, has been entertaining young kids through his hands-on, interactive magic shows for 15 years.

Learn more about today’s performance in this Q&A with Knaus.

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 can kids and their parents expect from your show today? 

[Today] is basically going to be a lot of comedy and a lot of slapstick. The people that come [today] are going to be fans of the show. Most of the people coming - their kids have seen me or read about me. I don't know if the heat is going to get people worried or not. It might. When it's hot, I'll spray water into the crowd. I make it fun. I use a lot of volunteers.

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, July 23, 10:00 a.m.; Free
6621 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA; (703) 324-SHOW