Step A Little Closer; Close Up Magic with Rowan Danforth

Want to believe in magic again? Step a little closer.

Rowan is 13 and has been studying sleight-of-hand for three years, carrying a deck of cards the way other kids carry a phone. He busks for children and adults alike, turning sidewalks and street corners into tiny theaters of wonder.

Trained through the historic Tannen’s Magic Shop in New York City, he’s building a repertoire of close-up illusions that feel impossible at arm’s length. Cards vanish. Thoughts are revealed. Reality bends just enough to make you grin.

Come ready to be amazed, he’ll bring the deck.

Enjoy periodic performances between 11:00am and 7:00pm in the Fringe Hub!

Rowan Danforth is a close-up magician born and raised in Ashland, Oregon, in a family fueled by daily humor and music-making. An 8th grader at Ashland Middle School, he has spent the last three years studying sleight-of-hand and developing a deep love for portable wonder.

When he’s not carrying a deck of cards, you might find him solving a Rubik’s cube at record speed, juggling, stacking dice, mastering slinky tricks, diving into Magic: The Gathering, playing baseball with the Junior Grizzlies, or mountain biking in the watershed.

Inspired by magicians like Justin Willman and trained through New York City’s historic Tannen’s Magic Shop, Rowan believes magic should be up close, unexpected, and joyful. He tries not to spend all his money on boba at Matcha.