Big Apple Circus 13, 2017 that they will auction off their assets. On February 14, 2017, Big Apple Circus announced that the U.S. Bankruptcy Court had approved the sale of their assets to Big Top Works, an affiliate of Compass Partners, for $1.3 million. As part of the sale, the circus will be renewed for its 40th anniversary season and some community programs will continue. On March 21, 2017, Big Apple Circus announced that renowned acrobat Nik Wallenda will be the headline act in the 40th anniversary season at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park in New York City from October 26, 2017 to January
Big Apple Circus Embracing Autism Performances have a reduced running time, as well as sensory adaptations. Founded in 1986, the Big Apple Circus Clown Care program is composed of over 80 professional clowns, trained extensively in hospital procedures, circus skills, and improvisation, who make rounds as 'clown doctors' at various pediatric hospitals around the U.S. It is estimated that the clowns make more than 225,000 visits to children every year "in both inpatient and outpatient units, including intensive care, emergency room, physical therapy, bone marrow transplant, pediatric AIDS, and hematology/oncology." The continuation of Clown Care programs were not included in Big Apple Circus'