An acrobatic performance Sunday in the downtown plaza that drew droves of people and doubled the number of a local hotel's brunch patrons could be an example of what is to come.

"This is my dream, frankly," said Phil McDaniel, St. Johns County Cultural Council president. "A city-wide festival with seven to 10 acts like this spread throughout the city in a three-day weekend."

McDaniel plans to bring the idea to the county's Tourist Development Council, but he already has support from St. Augustine Mayor Joe Boles.

"(The performers) would need to be controlled in terms of quality and location to make sure it's first class," Boles said. "I don't think anything's out of the realm of discussion."

McDaniel worked with Boles and city staff last week to bring in the act Aerial Angels, who had two performances on Sunday in the Plaza de la Constitucion. The Council paid the group, and the performers did not take money from the crowd, which would be against a city ordinance.

The Cultural Council teamed up with the Casa Monica Hotel and offered a two-for-one brunch coupon available at the performance and on the Council's Web site. The plan worked, McDaniel said.

"The idea is to use performance art to move people throughout the city," he said.

Although no Casa Monica managers were available to comment Sunday, some hotel employees said the number of brunch patrons more than doubled. And crowds of people streamed from the downtown plaza to the hotel, a short walk away.

The three Aerial Angels, Zay Weaver, stage name Spike, Allison Williams, or Isabella, and MelissaMarie Wilhelm, called Lady, travel the world performing acrobatics and contortion. The crowd was awed Sunday by their tricks on a dangling hoop and silk streamers attached to a tall tripod of metal poles.

The women also mix-in comedy and started the act by saying, "We are professional street performers, believe it or not. I know, our parents are so unhappy."

McDaniel knew of the Aerial Angels, based in Kalamazoo, Mich., because for two weeks they're teaching students at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, where McDaniel's son attends.

Williams, who has traveled as a performer for 15 years, said she sees potential in St. Augustine to bring in more visitors through performing artists.

"I've seen it work in other cities," she said. "Holland, Mich. has a street performing series, and we partnered with Cold Stone Creamery. We performed in their courtyard where people would sit to eat."

City Commissioner George Gardner watched the Aerial Angels and said he, too, would like to see more acts like it.

"I think our city is a great place for something like that," he said. "I think (this was) a great step for the city."