Minneapolis Magician joins over 200 fellow magicians in an attempt to perform Houdini’s Siberian Chain Escape in Appleton on “Houdini Day”.
— David Farr, a professional Minneapolis magician and mentalist, has become part of a record-setting attempt with hundreds of other magicians in the city where legendary escape artist Houdini grew up. The attempt saw over 200 magicians come together to perform Houdini’s Siberian Chain Escape routine simultaneously, and everyone managed to escape in under a minute. It is believed to be the largest group ever to perform this escape at one time.
Farr received an official SAM Certificate of Participation for his role in the attempt, and the entire event carried huge significance, with the year 2026 marking the 100th anniversary of Houdini’s death. The location for this attempted record was also carefully chosen; Appleton is the city Houdini called home for many years while alive. Hundreds of magicians gathered in Appleton on July 2, 2026, in what Mayor Jacob A. Woodford proclaimed “Houdini Day”. The day also featured a milk can escape and a straitjacket escape performed four stories above the plaza. Rain was forecast all day and fell throughout the morning, but as the chain escape wrapped up, the sky cleared, and the rest of the escapes were performed in sunshine. More than one magician in the crowd took it as a sign from Houdini himself.
While the event itself was a celebration of Houdini’s life, it also held a personal connection for David Farr, who’s been a fan of the great escape artist ever since he was a child:
“I picked up my first magic trick as a kid because of Houdini. Standing in his hometown a hundred years after he died, locked in chains next to two hundred other magicians who felt exactly the same way, is not something you get twice in a career.”
Farr went on to talk about how he would perform multiple escapes as a child, including Houdini’s Mail Bag Escape, and kept a straitjacket escape in his act well into his twenties. He no longer performs escapes in his shows – they focus more on mentalism, comedy, and audience participation. The kid who got into magic because of Houdini managed to stand in the escape artist’s boyhood home and perform one of his most iconic routines.
Sources
- Official City of Appleton proclamation: https://appletonwi.gov/Documents/Mayor/Proclamations/Houdini%20day.pdf
- Fox 11 News coverage: https://fox11online.com/news/local/magicians-perform-death-defying-stunts-record-escapes-to-celebrate-harry-houdini-100-anniversary-escape-artist-convention-society-of-american-magicians-appleton-plaza-fox-valley
About David Farr
David Farr is a Minneapolis magician and mentalist for corporate and private events who has been performing since the age of 10. He took first place in Close-Up Magic at Tannen’s Magic Camp and provides high-impact entertainment built on interactive mentalism and clean comedy.
More information can be found on his website here: https://www.davidfarr.com/.
Contact Info:
Name: Christina Farr
Email: Send Email
Organization: David Farr
Address: 5507 Regent Ave. N, Crystal, MN 55429
Phone: 763-566-8597
Website: https://www.davidfarr.com/
Release ID: 89200084
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