The real men and women of steel are back again to celebrate the ancient art of sword swallowing on World Sword Swallowing Day, Saturday, February 28, at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditoriums around the world. In New York City, Todd Robbins will lead a group of sword swallowers at a free performance at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square, located at 234 West 42nd Street. The show will start at 1:30 p.m. with an official “swallow” at 2:28:15 p.m. to coincide with the 2/28/15 date.
More than a dozen sword swallowers will risk their lives when they “drop swords” at Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square during the 8th annual World Sword Swallower’s Day celebration, founded by the Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) and co-sponsored by Ripley’s Believe It or Not! In all, more than 125 feet of solid steel will go down the hatch…hopefully without a scratch.
About Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square: Located in Times Square in the heart of New York City, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square brings people of all ages face-to-face with the world’s most unbelievable curiosities. With 18,000 square feet of astonishing artifacts, exclusive oddities and exciting interactive exhibits, this one-of-a-kind attraction welcomes visitors to experience the unusual and unexpected, where the entire family will rediscover wonder around every corner. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Times Square is open from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. For further information and winter hours please visit www.ripleysnewyork.com. Like them on Facebook and tell them about your most unusual stories: http://www.facebook.com/RipleysNY.
About Ripley Entertainment: Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com), keepers of the venerable Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand, is a global leader in location-based entertainment, entertaining more than 11 million annually at its 90-plus attractions in 10 countries. In addition to its 32 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the second-largest privately held company in Canada. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and Odditorium are registered trademarks of Ripley Entertainment Inc.
About Sword Swallowing: The art of sword swallowing began more than 4,000 years ago in India, and requires the practitioner to use mind-over-matter techniques to control the body and repress natural reflexes to insert solid steel blades from 15 to 25 inches down the esophagus and into the stomach. With the demise of the traveling circus sideshow over the past several decades, there are currently less than a few dozen full-time professional sword swallowers actively performing the deadly art around the world today.
About the Sword Swallowers Association International: Founded in 2001 to preserve the art of sword swallowing, SSAI (www.swordswallow.org) is comprised of sword swallowers from around the world and maintains a website with general information on sword swallowing for the general public at www.swordswallow.com.