Cedric Walker remembers clearly his first time under the big top.

“It was the Shrine Circus at the Fifth Regiment Armory,” said the 72-year-old West Baltimore native. “As a kid, the circus is an experience you remember for the rest of your life. It was a joyful, eyes-wide-open event. I did not know it would burn into my brain.”

What he did know is that he did not see anyone who looked like him, a Black kid from Edmondson Village, in any of the three rings. The power of such an experience for all kinds of families formed the spark that would become the UniverSoul Circus, a 31-year-old multicultural festival of exciting feats, dancers and fun featuring mostly Black acts.

“Black culture globally impacts the world, our fashion, our style, our swagger. There was not a family attraction that reflected that cultural authenticity,” he said. “We thought there was a need for that.”

This weekend, the troupe ends their stint at Security Square Mall with 10 final shows at the Woodlawn venue through Labor Day. The acts include everything from hoop divers to extreme motorcycle riders to the Soul Skaters and more.

The circus spectacle is the culmination of Walker’s entrepreneurism, which goes back as far as he can remember. He started shining shoes as a kid to pay his $5 Cub Scout dues. He moved on to selling Christmas cards he ordered from the back of a comic book to cover the cost of a bicycle, since his father could only afford one between him and his brother. He also collected so much for UNICEF that he was invited to the televised fundraiser focused on children’s issues to present his donation live on camera.

“I came from a home where my father worked and my mother stayed home to raise us. We didn’t have a lot, but we had a lot of love,” Walker said. “That really shapes your mindset, really creating the understanding that you could create your own revenue through your own resources.”

That understanding of his own entrepreneurial skills set the stage for Walker’s life. After graduating from Edmondson High School, he went to study at Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute and washed dishes at his uncle’s nearby club.

“I was 18, and my uncle wouldn’t let me out of the kitchen,” he recalled. But from the sink, he could hear a really good local band with a rhythm section. At some point, “their sound engineer got drafted into the army, so there was a need for someone to do their sound and lighting.”

Ever the enterprising lad, Walker offered his assistance for free if they could train him. “I volunteered my way into show business,” he joked. “That’s how I got out of the kitchen.”

The band, known as the Commodores (yes, the Commodores!), took their horns, fabulous Afros and the whole “Brick House” on the road, with Walker as stage and production manager for their tour with The Jackson Five.

From there, he started doing marketing, booking bands and organizing concerts, from funk to hip-hop. He then began producing traveling theater productions. It was at one of those events — a gospel musical — where he observed a multigenerational family sitting in the audience, which was usually made up of older people.

“I asked the playwright why he thought there would be kids there. He said, ‘Cedric, theater is the oldest form of live entertainment. What makes it powerful is to see yourself onstage,’” Walker recalled.

“And that, right there, set me on the path. I thought, ‘How do we make a show that appeals to all of the generations, entertainment for the whole family, all on the same bench? The circus!’”

Walker immediately started showing up at his local library every day to “study Black entertainment from the turn of the century,” he said. He discovered the history of Black vaudevillians and animal training, though UniverSoul Circus ceased animal acts in 2023 after complaints from PETA and other activist groups.

“It’s about connecting with people. It’s an authentic cultural experience that doesn’t get old,” Walker explained. “Our cultural contributions are timeless, and UniverSoul Circus reflects that. This is authentically us, not watered down.”

Though Walker has been based in Atlanta for some time, he’s excited that his creation is back in Baltimore, the place where he first fell in love with the circus.

“It’s a moment of pride,” he said. “It’s something that’s for young people. Because of the neighborhoods I grew up in, there were not a lot of positive experiences or things to look up to. It gives them a chance to see that you can dream. Your negative experiences don’t define or shape you. Your positive experiences are stronger.”