HAMPTON — Labor Day weekend at Hampton Beach will feature former NFL stars playing beach football and circus performers putting on one of the greatest shows by the sand.
"It's going to be a great weekend," Hampton Beach Village District co-marketing director Lisa Martineau said. "We want people to come out and enjoy the atmosphere of what's going on."
Two-time Super Bowl Champion Tully Banta-Cain brings his touring Beach Football League to the sand on Saturday, Aug. 31. Later that night, the Boston Circus Guild puts the spotlight on jugglers and acrobatics for a circus spectacular on the Seashell Stage.
The weekend includes the final leg of Joe Bonamassa's "Blues Deluxe Tour" with two shows at the Casino Ballroom and a special fireworks shoot on Sunday, Sept. 1.
Here is a look at the events and shows at Hampton Beach on Labor Day weekend.
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Ex-New England Patriot brings Beach Football League to Hampton Beach
A slew of former New England Patriots is touching down at Hampton Beach this Labor Day Weekend as part of former New England Patriots linebacker Tully Banta Cain’s touring Beach Football League .
The day will feature former Patriots as well as other former pro football players and meet-and-greet opportunities, a kids zone, as well as tackle and flag exhibition games. The event is funded jointly through the Hampton Beach Village District and the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce and is a public tryout for the Beach Football League.
"It's a tryout for the public but we do have some surprise players, former NFL guys, that are willing to go out there and play in the exhibition,' said Banta-Cain.
The cost to register is $50 per person. Players must be 18 years or older and not a current member of a collegiate football team for the 2024 season or under contract with any other professional football league. All registered athletes will be entered into the 2025 BFL Draft Pool, with the official league play beginning in the summer of 2025.
The tryouts at Hampton will start at 9 a.m. with a series of drills that include cone drills, 30-yard dash, and broad jump. One-on-one drills will feature wide receivers running routes against defensive backs, the “Oklahoma drill” and pass rushers against defensive linemen.
"It's going to be like a mini combine," Banta-Cain said.
The drills will be followed by an evaluation process in which the top 40 players are drafted by two different teams present that day. The two teams will then play each other in an exhibition game at 2:45 p.m. to end the day, according to Banta-Cain.
The teams will feature the NFL players “blended” into the gameplay. Players attending include Jonas Gray, current Patriot Kendrick Bourne and former Patriots like Patrick Pass, Jamie Collins, Vernon Crawford and Patrick Chung.
Banta-Cain said his new Beach Football League is staking a claim in the world of sand athletics that has become increasingly popular for other sports. He pointed to the growth in popularity of beach volleyball, an Olympic sport since 1996, and beach soccer, which has its own FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.
“Why not now football?” Banta-Cain said.
To register, visit https://www.beachfootballleague.com/opentryouts .
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Cirque du Hampton Beach: The Greatest Show by the sand
Cirque du Hampton Beach returns to the Seashell Stage Saturday night, Aug. 31, with jugglers, musicians, and acrobats performing "mind-blowing, body-bending unimaginable feats."
"We are super excited to bring the circus spectacular for the evening," said Michael Mucciolo, director of operations at Boston Circus Guild.
The free event, brought to the beach by the Hampton Beach Village District, is put on by the Boston Circus Guild. The guild consists of more than 50 musicians, artists, circus performers, dancers, and event producers from the New England area.
Like previous years, the show will be split into two parts, starting at 7 p.m. with a 45-minute comedy acrobatic juggling performance.
"We have an amazing performer with a ridiculous background. He is Japanese and lives in Canada," Mucciolo. "So, he's a French-Canadian Japanese performer who specializes in Chinese pole. … It's a delightful show that he's performed up in Canada and has done some European tours as well."
The "circus spectacular" will follow, according to Mucciolo, with juggling acrobatics, Cyr wheel, hooping, and "the whole nine years as per usual."
"We will also have a new aerial performance that we haven't shown on the stage," Mucciolo said.
Also new this year is the ringmaster.
"Our usual ringmaster who we all love was not able to be here for this event with us," Mucciolo said. "So, we actually reached out, greased the wheels a little bit, shook hands, and found someone that we feel really, really good about."
Stepping in will be Ty McFarlan, the 34th Ringmaster of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus.
"He's done something like almost 3,000 shows at this point," Mucciolo said. "He is the exact character and heart that we want when it comes to the representation of the circus… I'm honored to have him with us."
Nightly entertainment on the Seashell Stage
Hampton Beach will feature live music from local performers to nationally touring acts on Labor Day weekend.
Club Soda takes the Seashell stage on Friday, Aug. 30. The four-piece band plays the “Best of Top 40” hits from the 50s to today "plus a whole lot more."
Closing out the season at the Seashell will be the South Street Band on Sunday, Sept. 1, who will perform their second to last gig before they disband as a group.
"It has been such an honor and privilege to share our musical journey with all of you, but our lives have taken us in different directions in a way that no longer allows us to continue," the band announced on their website. "…We really hope that anyone who has ever had fun with us comes out to party one more time during our last hurrah."
The band plays classic rock featuring "your favorite danceable hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s!"
Across the street from Seashell Stage, Joe Bonamassa wraps up his "Blues Deluxe Tour" with two shows at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom , at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, and Saturday, Aug. 31.
The "Blues Deluxe Tour” pays homage to Bonamassa's critically acclaimed albums, including his best-selling Blues Deluxe from 2003 and its current chart-topping successor Blues Deluxe Vol. 2.
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Hampton Beach Labor Day fireworks
Hampton Beach will host a special Labor Day weekend fireworks shoot at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1.
The fireworks will go off on the beach at the top of B and C Streets.
Fireworks are weather-dependent. You can also visit the Hampton Beach Facebook page for the very latest information about weather-related updates, postponements, or cancellations.
Reporter Max Sullivan contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Hampton Beach Labor Day weekend 2024: Ex-NFL players hit the beach, circus and more
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