sideshow

noun3

1. •
   A minor attraction at a larger event such as a circus, fair or music festival.

   • And IT people dismiss IT′s impact because, hey, we like being a sideshow to the real action. — 1999
2. •
   (figurative) An incidental spectacle that diverts attention from a larger concern.

   • Far from learning from the failures of ‘economic rationalism,’ the Liberals want us to swallow more of the snake oil medicine while diverting our attention to the consumption tax sideshow. — 1997
3. •
   (US, slang) An incident in which drivers block traffic to perform stunts like donuts and burnouts for an extended period of time.

   • But a bodega owner in the area said that crime seemed to be rising, and that at night, the neighborhood became a backdrop for drug use and occasional sideshows. — 2023