Send in the clowns! Clown convention takes over Duluth hotel

DULUTH, Ga. - We may be nearly a month past April Fool’s Day — but the gags are still flying fast and furious at a unique convention happening in Metro Atlanta this week. And while participants there can promise plenty of laughs — they can’t make any promises when it comes to getting in the way of a squirting flower!

Right now, dozens of clowns from around the world are gathered in Duluth for Clowns of America International’s annual convention, which runs through Saturday, April 30 at the Sonesta Gwinnett Place Atlanta. Clowns of America International boasts nearly 2,000 members globally and is a nonprofit organization which serves as a professional network for clowns and other types of family entertainers. Organizers say the annual convention is a chance for members to participate in educational workshops, network with one another, and even compete in various categories including balloons, face painting, and makeup/costumes.

Special guests at this week’s convention include Misha Usov, founder of the Professional Clown Institute and longtime performer (including with Cirque du Soleil), and actor David Arquette ("Scream," "Eight Legged Freaks"), who recently acquired the rights to the beloved character Bozo The Clown and is reviving the character for new audiences as well as adding a counterpart, Jozo Bozo, the first female Bozo The Clown of color.

For more information on Clowns of America International, click over the organization’s website here. And click the video player in this article to check out our morning in Duluth, hanging out with some of the talented performers attending the big event and learning a thing or two about becoming a clown!