The Tragedy Circus

AmritaJain

Posted: Sat Apr 16 2011

On World Circus Day Where can you find happiness?

Energy drinks lead to diabetes?Energy drinks lead to diabetes?'Irresponsible' Rakta charitra On World Circus Day, Talk explores the struggle of the Indian circus industry, where out of 50 groups, only 20 make a small profit It’s the evening show of the Jumbo Circus at Khadki Grounds in Pune. As Kalam Khan, the clown, begins his next act, a swift movement by an acrobat scares him away. Laughter erupts in the stands. With his dwarfish frame and exaggerated body language, Khan begins a comical altercation with the acrobat but soon leaves the stage in mock hurt. The act symbolises the current situation of the Indian circus industry. As the Federation Mondiale du Cirque, Monaco, backed by the royal family of Monaco, celebrates the second World Circus Day, the 130-year-old Indian circus industry battles extinction. In 2002, the Indian Circus Federation had 22 members; today, it has only 14. Dilip Nath Nair, 45, who runs the Great Bombay Circus with Sanjeev Balagopalan says that after five years, there will be no circus in India. “How do I survive,” he asks. “Land and transportation costs are up. Sometimes, we have to pay Rs 10,000 - 15,000 per day for the ground even though the best grounds are not given to us. Now, severe laws have crippled us further. We are asking for a little cooperation, not charity,” he says.

Aaron Schock on CIRCO

THEATER REVIEW

BOOM TOWN

New Victory Theater, 209 W. 42nd St.; 646-223-3010. Through April 24.

Cirque Mechanics performers defy gravity in this breathtaking Western-theme show. The Wild West gets even wilder in "Boom Town," the new children's show by the clever Cirque Mechanics troupe. It's set in an 1860s mining town that's literally a springboard for circus acts -- a grizzled prospector displays a surprising talent for juggling, while a cowgirl flies overhead on a wooden wagon wheel transformed into a chandelier. And while the routines may sound familiar, the ingenious use of colorful props lets us see them in brand-new ways, as acrobats shimmy up and down telegraph poles, wooden carts become trampolines -- and the juggling's done with pickaxes. Darin BasileCirque Mechanics performers defy gravity in this breathtaking Western-theme show. The 80-minute, wordless piece features a storyline of sorts, involving competing saloon owners and a romance between a winsome lass and a handsome miner. But it's really just an excuse to show off the impressive physical and comic skills of the nine performers, who leap about the Western-theme set with scary abandon. Not everything works. The comedic segments -- a female clown creating shadowy objects behind a screen, an audience member put through various routines accompanied by raucous sound effects -- feel like filler. But when a Western hoedown becomes an athletic dance routine straight out of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," the results are magical. And the many sly touches of humor will keep grown-ups entertained even while the kids are oohing and aahing at the performers' feats of derring-doRead more: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/western_circus_gold_mine_nrmywlWqS0ZAip38BFX9tN#ixzz1Jg5CYQQb

Wild walk, risky ride: Member of legendary Wallenda family plans Saturday stunts at Boardwalk

Nik Wallenda practices walking on top of the ferris Wheel at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Friday, April 15, 2011 in Santa Cruz, Calif. Wallenda, a seventh generation member of the legendary Great Wallendas circus family, is scheduled to kick off the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk s Spring Break with two jaw dropping stunts on Saturday, April 16, 2011. (AP Photo/Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Donaven Staab) ( Donaven Staab )

By JENNIFER PITTMAN

04/15/2011

from: mercurynews.com SANTA CRUZ - Nik Wallenda is stopping by the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on Saturday for a quick walk, then a short motorcycle ride. But if the name sounds familiar, you realize there's a little more involved. The scion of the legendary high wire-walking family plans to walk atop the moving Ferris wheel, then ride a motorcycle up a thin wire to the top of the 125-foot-high Double Shot tower ride. And oh, yeah, his trapeze artist wife will be suspended below. "We're keeping up with the times and continuing to do what our family's done for seven generations - doing the unexpected," Wallenda, 32, said Thursday as he was getting ready to set up rigging for the Boardwalk feat. "I'm excited." The Boardwalk is sponsoring the free-admission stunts to kick off the amusement park's annual spring break festivities.

Nick Wallenda will perform a death-defying stunt at the boardwalk Saturday. (DAN COYRO/SENTINEL) Viewers will be able to see the noon Ferris wheel event from the beach and from the east end of the park by the San Lorenzo River. The second event, at 5 p.m., will have Wallenda riding his lightweight Yamaha Vertigo up a 350-foot wire from the beach to the Double Shot tower and back. His wife Erendira, of the famous Flying Vasquez family of trapeze artists, will hang from a trapeze under the motorcycle during the risky ride. "These are some of the most incredible stunts ever attempted in the Boardwalk's 104-year history," said Boardwalk promotions manager Karley Pope. "We are privileged to welcome such a talented member of the Great Wallenda family back to the Boardwalk. It's been a long time." Wallenda, who made his entertainment debut in a clown suit at age 2, has been walking wires since he was 4. He holds several Guinness world records including Highest Tightrope Crossing by a Bicycle - he rode across a wire suspended 260 feet in the air at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas; Longest Tightrope Crossing by Bicycle - he rode a 235-foot wire; and before that, he, his parents and sister set a record with an eight-person pyramid atop a wire. The Ferris wheel and Double Shot stunts won't break any records, but Wallenda says it is good to be at a place where his family members once performed.

Nick Wallenda of the famous Flying Wallendas family will ride his motorcycle on a wire from the beach to the top of the Boardwalk's Double Shot Saturday--carrying his wife on a suspended trapeze. (DAN COYRO/SENTINEL)

The Great Wallendas extensive traveling-circus roots date to 18th century Europe. His great-grandfather Karl Wallenda, born in Germany in 1905, brought the family circus entertainment business to America during the last century, gaining notoriety for building multi-level chair pyramids on high wires. He performed at the Boardwalk in 1975, three years before he died in a tragic accident while performing in Puerto Rico. In 1976, Stephan Wallenda, a nephew to Karl Wallenda, walked the Boardwalk's Skyglider cable with Steve "Unique" McPeak. Nik Wallenda said he was unable to obtain authorization to do the same feat this year. In the past week, Nik Wallenda has performed in Texas and Los Angeles. Santa Cruz is the latest stop on a worldwide tour that is being documented by a 30-person team for a six-part Discovery Channel series about the Great Wallendas. Karl Wallenda's most famous walk was a 1,200-foot-long trek across the Tallulah Falls Gorge in Georgia, where 30,000 people watched as the 65-year-old legend performed two separate headstands at more than 700 feet in the air. Eight years later, equipment failure caused his death in Puerto Rico. Nik Wallenda hopes to complete the same stunt where his grandfather lost his life and one day walk a wire across the Grand Canyon. He already has the permits to do so, according to his personal website. When he's not performing, Nik and his wife live in Sarasota, Fla., with their three children, ages 13, 10 and 8 - all of whom know how to walk on wires. read more at: http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_17857255?nclick_check=1

Circus coming Monday and Tuesday

April 15, 2011

By Drew C. Wilson Havelock News

Nobody’s too old to enjoy the circus, according to John Flanigan. "Everybody’s a kid at heart," said the 73-year-old retired Marine master gunnery sergeant who is a veteran of two tours in Vietnam. Flanigan is chairman of the committee from VFW Post No. 7315 in Havelock that is sponsoring the return of the Cole Brothers Circus of the Stars to Havelock for performances Monday and Tuesday at Walter B. Jones Park in Havelock. Shows will be at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. each day. "Last year we had several adults that had never been to the circus and we coerced them into going and they enjoyed it," said Flanigan. "It’s an experience that you’ll never forget. "For a lot of the youngsters it will probably by the first time they’ve seen the circus and for the adults, they can be children again and enjoy the circus." The VFW post has been helping bring the circus to Havelock for more than 35 years, a tradition started by the now-disbanded Havelock Lions Club. Proceeds from the sale of the tickets go to charitable functions in the area. "The money we get will go for helping the military people in need, housing problems, medical problems, some instances of deaths, to make sure that if it’s a veteran that they get military honors for burial and that type of thing," Flanigan said. Money also goes to support the Craven-Cherry Point Child Development Center. "The last couple of years the circus has donated general admission tickets for us to distribute to active-duty Marines on the base and dependents with their spouses deployed," said Flanigan. The VFW is also selling tickets at area locations including Top’s Cigars and Kittrell Auto Parts in Havelock, Tommy’s Hot Bar and Gourmet Café in New Bern and the Painted Pelican in Morehead City. Advance ticket purchases save $5 off regular admission. Adult ticket prices range from $14 to $20. Free children’s tickets can be obtained by going online to http://www.colebroscircus.com/ and adult tickets can be purchased online at http://www.tickets.com/. Cole Brothers Circus of the Stars is celebrating its 127th season, and Marketing Director Ron West said many acts are new this year. The circus will also include some of the usuals, including elephants, horses, tigers, a trapeze act, an aerial ballet and the human cannonball.

Longtime Danbury mall carnival could move downtown

Dirk Perrefort, Staff Writer

Friday, April 15, 2011 DANBURY, CT -- Cotton candy and midway rides could be coming to the downtown early this summer. After nearly a decade of operating at the Danbury Fair mall, the James E. Strates Shows carnival could move to the center of the city. Sgt. Bob Guerrera, director of the police department's Police Activities League, said Friday he hopes to finalize plans for the carnival at a meeting Monday on the former Amphenol property near Kennedy Avenue. Organizers are hoping to use the property to stage the carnival sometime in late June, about when schools let out for the summer vacation. "We are really excited about bringing the carnival to the downtown," Guerrera said. "It's a great central location and will help bring more people downtown into the CityCenter." Read more: http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Longtime-Danbury-mall-carnival-could-move-downtown-1339422.php#ixzz1JgAdU2jC

Enjoying county fair is child's play

By JULIE MURPHY, Staff writer

April 16, 2011

from the Daytona Beach News-Journal

BUNNELL, FL -- Half of the Flagler County Fairgrounds looks akin to the Las Vegas Strip, with the bright lights, colors and music of the carnival rides and games. A mechanical bull is the transitional ride that bridges the bright lights with all things quaint and country. Both sides have grown, said Mike Boyd, who has been on the fair's all-volunteer board since 1989. "A lot of the kids showing livestock are from Bunnell and Haw Creek, but we get a lot of support from Palm Coast," Boyd said Wednesday on opening night. Brayden Landi, 5, of Palm Coast plucks a chick up from its pen at the petting zoo and whips around to show his mother. "Look, mommy, look," he squeals in delight. He's coaxed into setting one down and picks up two others, drops them and moves on to the bunnies. "Can I hold that one? Can I hold that one?" he asked. The bunnies were a popular attraction -- even among children who live on farms. The Cody sisters, Mackayla, 5 and Mackenzie, 7, share a single folding chair and love on two of the bunnies that will be auctioned off at the end of the fair. "We have horses and cows and heifers," said Mackayla of the family's Haw Creek farm, "but these are cute. And we have baby chickies and big chickens." The blond, blue-eyed girls giggle and elbow each other. "I show chickens," said Mackenzie. "Her name is Tinkerbell. She's white and black." She'll show her chicken today. "I'm not nervous. She's not old enough to show," she said, pointing toward Mackayla. Mackenzie would rather ride one of the miniature horses at the petting zoo than take a spin atop a fake horse on the merry-go-round. "I love that one," she said, pointing at a little brown miniature named Rinky Dink. Lillian Duhl, 5, of Palm Coast is reluctant to pet the pony or share her opinions about the fair's best attributes. Her sister isn't quite so shy. "I'm 2. My name is Miriam," she said, bouncing on both feet.

OPENS TONIGHT!

CINCINNATTI, OHIO

FROM: DICK JOHNSON---

Don't forget---click on each picture to enlarge!

Activists to protest against circus animals

Lion trainer Warren Lennon with Kiara the lioness

BY HENRIETTA COOK

14 Apr, 2011,

from: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/

Animal rights activists will gather outside Queanbeyan showgrounds tonight to oppose the use of lions and monkeys at a 118-year-old circus. Animal Liberation ACT will stage a peaceful protest at 6.30pm to demand Lennon Bros Circus stop using exotic animals for entertainment. Animal Liberation ACT president Bernard Brennan said animals at the Australian circus led miserable lives and spent up to 23 hours a day in cages. ''They endure long-haul transport and are forced to perform up to three hours a day whether they like it or not,'' he said. The circus has set up camp in Queanbeyan to avoid the scrutiny of ACT laws that prohibit circuses using exotic animals such as monkeys, bears, elephants, giraffes and lions.

People caught flouting ACT circus laws face up to one year's imprisonment and fines between $11,000 and $55,000. Mr Brennan urged the public to boycott the circus and said Queanbeyan City Council should follow 40 other councils across the country which had banned circuses with exotic animals. Lennon Bros Circus manager and lion trainer Warren Lennon said his lion and two lionesses had a good life and were provided with large exercise yards. ''We have researched that lions are the best suited animals for circuses because they sleep for up to 20 hours a day,'' he said. Mr Lennon said the ACT Government needed to reassess its ban on exotic animals in circuses. ''The public still want to see them. I would say 70 per cent of our clients are from the ACT.'' Queanbeyan Council Mayor Tim Overall said council did not have a position on the use of exotic animals in circuses. A Territory and Municipal Services spokesman said the ACT Government had no plans to change its circus laws. Lennon Bros Circus is the longest travelling circus in Australia and uses four monkeys, three lions, three camels, two alpacas, 11 ponies and two miniature donkeys in its twice-daily shows. It is one of only two circuses in Australia that use exotic animals. The circus will be at Queanbeyan until May 1.

Ringling Bros. Train Rolls Through Riverdale Park

The famous circus traveled through Riverdale Park Monday, stopping at the station in town center.

By Melissa Avery

April 13, 2011 It’s a sure sign that spring has arrived when the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus train travels through Riverdale Park. The circus train is a long used symbol and moving trademark of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. There is excitement knowing the train cars are packed with performers, scenery and animals that hold the “greatest show on Earth." The train rolled through Riverdale Park Monday morning, stopping for two hours while it waited to be cleared to move on to its final destination. The train conductor said he was on his way from Baltimore to the Benning Road switching yard. From there it was going to the Fairfax Patriot Center, opening the show at 7:00 pm on April 14th.

This year the show that will be presented is called the Blue Tour Barnum 200 Fundrum. P.T. Barnum, the father of the circus has been called the world’s greatest showman. He started his “Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Circus” in 1870. It was the largest production of its kind in the world. The show accommodated 10,000 seated people. By 1872, the show had a home on the rails. In 1891, After P.T. Barnum passed away, James A. Bailey took over the circus. He expanded the shows popularity and size. At that time it had a five ring stage, employed over a thousand people and traveled the country in 85 railroad cars. By the late 1800’s the Ringling brothers, six in all, of Baraboo, Wisconsin were a competing circus of growing popularity and stature. The official titles for their show were “Ringling Bros. United Monster Shows, Great Double Circus, Royal European Menagerie, Museum, Caravan, and Congress of Trained Animals”. Bailey died in 1906 and in 1907 the Ringling brothers purchased Barnum & Bailey Circus which had been their greatest competitor. The result of the two circuses coming together was the largest traveling amusement enterprise of that time. The circus grew to 100 double-length railroad cars and then employed 1,200 people. The train is more than just a mode of transportation; it is also home to performers. They live a life on the rails while working throughout the United States. As the train finally left Riverdale Park, Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson could be seen standing at one of the train car doors. Iverson is the youngest ringmaster in the history of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus also the first African-American ringmaster. He lives on the train with his wife, Pricilla, a fellow performer, and their two children, Matthew Felipe and Lila Simone

Celebrate the Spring Fair in Puyallup this weekend

Celebrate the Spring Fair in Puyallup this weekend

Over 100,000 people are expected to attend the Spring Fair this weekend. (Puyallup Spring Fair) Apr 13, 2011

By Stephanie KleinMyNorthwest.com Editor

It may only be 45 degrees, but that's not going to stop thousands of die-hard funnel-cafe fans from showing up at this weekend's Puyallup Spring Fair. "We usually see over 100,000 people attending over the four days," said fair spokeswoman, Karen LaFlamme. "People like to get back to their roots and do things that you can only do and find at fairs." According to LaFlamme, the Spring Fair is the eighth largest in the state. This year's entertainment line-up includes: TimberWorks Lumberjack Show, Fiesta Mexicana Dancing Horses, Dora the Explorer, DocDogs, and Sandra Lee. "The first 300 people who bring food donations will receive a bracelet to watch her (Sandra Lee) do a live cooking demonstration on the garden show stage," LaFlamme said.

Discovery banks on circus, swamp in new TV lineup

By Paul Thomasch

Thu Apr 14, 2011

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Discovery Channel, home to a string of popular adventure and nature shows, will roll out a TV schedule next year featuring a circus family, woolly mammoths and reptile rescuers, among other oddities. Discovery Channel, which struggled at times last season to retain viewers, has scheduled three new specials and four new series for the 2011-12 season, joining returning programs including "Storm Chasers" and "Deadliest Catch." Discovery will introduce its full lineup to advertisers during a presentation later on Thursday, before it begins the process of negotiating commercial rates for the upcoming season during the so-called upfront period. TV advertising has surged in recent months on demand from the automotive, retail and telecommunications categories, providing a boost in sales for cable network owners such as Discovery Communications and Time Warner Inc. The result, analysts say, is that commercial rates could be up by 10 percent or more in this year's upfront market, when cable and broadcast networks sell the bulk of their time for the next TV season. Broadcast networks NBC, CBS, Fox and ABC will introduce their lineups in May. Discovery Communications, in addition to the Discovery Channel, owns TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, Science and Discovery Fit & Health. It is also the owner, along with Oprah Winfrey, of the new OWN network, a largely female-oriented mixture of lifestyle, advice and uplifting shows. The network has suffered some audience ratings setbacks since its highly publicized launch in January. OWN plans to introduce six new series in the upcoming season and will return "Our America With Lisa Ling," "Ask Oprah's All Stars," "Enough Already!" "In the Bedroom with Dr. Laura Berman" and "Oprah Presents Master Class." OWN's new series include "Confronting," "I Owe You My Life," "Louie Spence Dance Project," "My Mom and Me," "Sweetie Pies," and "Unfaithful: Stories of Betrayal." The titles alone give some indication of the different audiences served by OWN and Discovery, which next year will feature specials titled "Frozen Planet," "Where's My Mammoth" and the wildly popular "Shark Week." As for new series, Discovery will stick with its traditional lineup of nonfiction programs that often showcase odd jobs and bizarre settings. "Penn & Teller's Secrets of the Universe," for instance, will feature 10 hard-to-believe stories, only one of which is a fake. In "Life on a Wire," the audience will follow the Flying Wallendas, a circus family, while in "Swamp Brothers," Robbie and Stephen Keszey will be featured at work in their reptile sanctuary. The final new show for the 2011-12 season is "Best in the Business," which Discovery is billing as "the ultimate battle of job-skill supremacy that celebrates the creme de la creme of the American workforce." (Reporting by Paul Thomasch, editing by Matthew Lewis)

Circus: Beautifully Imperfect (NICA)

CReviews, By Travis de Jonk,

14th April, 2011

FROM: samesame.com.au

The National Institute of Circus Arts celebrates it’s 10 year anniversary with a powerful and moving show collaboration with China’s Nanjing Acrobats Troupe. Incredible choreography and costumes shine in this potent social commentary on ‘perfection’. Beautifully Imperfect explores our obsession with perfection and the quest for it; The perfect body, the prefect job, the perfect lover and the perfect life. While the performances are brilliant, the outlook of this rather brave and political show isn’t at all rose coloured. Far from it, the show depicts the way we distort, destroy and cannibalise ourselves and each other in our quest for perfection. Making social statements and commentary isn’t altogether unusual for NICA, as few understand better than them, the hard life of an artist. However this show is by far the most overt expression of such commentary that I’ve witnessed. It’s punchy, raw, blatantly political and dark in it’s realism. This show focuses more on movement, acting, performance and creating mood than perfect acrobatics. It’s much more like a contemporary dance-circus hybrid than what you’d usually expect from circus. Though some of the feats you’ll see will floor and astound you, on the whole, it’s not the tightest and most precise circus acts I’ve witnessed from the institution. It’s not beat per minute action, but symphony of highs and lows, bangs and silences. Director and choreographer Rob Tannion has outdone himself with brilliant, gorgeous and moving work. His direction of the students is remarkable, and he’s managed to turn circus performers into powerful actors and conduits of emotion.

The choreography is wonderful to behold. What the show lacks in tradition acrobatic perfection it makes up for with precision dance and movement that sweeps you away, and sometimes punches you in the face. The set for Beautifully Imperfect is flawless, sophisticated and very well considered. You’ll witness it seamlessly transform and warp in front of your eyes. It becomes a matrix that stands alone and at the same time beautifully fuses with the performers and the visions being painted. Definite wow factor. The costumes for me were another highlight. Classic suit and dress silhouettes are stripped, deconstructed, reconstructed and subverted in flesh tones and materials. The devil was in the details like exposed pockets which gave the outfits an inside out feel, which worked with the themes of being naked, exposed and falling apart in the search for perfection. The National Institute of Circus Arts keeps going from strength to strength with their shows each year. They may not all be perfect, but each time they put on a show, they manage to captivate their audience with their amazing talent, and consistently show incredible potential of what circus can be. It’s the collaborative nature of their shows that makes them seem so fresh and bold every time. It’s these collaborations with diverse international and local guest directors, to visiting trainers and collaborations with other companies and institutions like the Acrobat troupe from Nanjing, that keeps circus as an art form, and not an outdated tradition. Time and time again, NICA have redefined the possibilities of circus, making it fresh, exciting and full of wonder. This institution has helped make Melbourne the circus capital of Australia. Just experience one of their amazing shows, like beautifully imperfect, and you’ll soon see why.

PROF. STU MILLER'S

AMERICAN SHOWTIME CIRCUS

FROM: BILL PRICKETT

PART 2

4-05-93 Sumpter County Fairgrounds Webster, Fl American Showtime Circus
#1 Generator

#2. Pvt truck & trailer - hauled elephant and limas

#3. Elephant


#4. Limas

#5. Front of "House Car". I was told by workmen that the words House Car was painted on the the front of the buses to avoid"truck scales". Sometimes it worked and some times they were stopped and ticketed.

Local magicians conjure 9th annual benefit show

(VIDEO)By JAMI KUNZER – jkunzer@nwherald.comApril 13, 2011

This is a show that can only be described as magical.
For the ninth year in a row, some of Illinois’ most popular magicians will come together for “Nothin’ Up My Sleeve,” a fundraising event for the Raue Center for the Arts in downtown Crystal Lake.
The show takes place at 6 p.m. Saturday.
“We want to make sure we pack that house again and help out the theater during these hard times,” said Nino Cruz, the show’s producer and a performer who’s been called “The Harry Houdini of Lake Geneva, Wis.”
No Houdini tricks this year, Cruz said, but plenty of illusions, mind-reading and magic are planned.
And fire, “a lot of fire,” he said.
In between acts, Cruz said he’ll call up audience members and mystify them a bit.
Cruz and fellow producer and performer Glenn Chelius of Crystal Lake started the fundraiser years ago, drawing from legend Marshall Brodien. Known for his role as Wizzo the Wizard on WGN-TV’s “Bozo’s Circus” and “The Bozo Show” from 1968 to 1994, Brodien was honored during last year’s show.
This year, he’ll be in the audience enjoying the show, Cruz said.
This year’s show will include the debut of “The Nerdician,” basically a nerd magician, performed by Mark Presley of Fox River Grove. Presley is offering a glimpse of his new comedy act at 8:25 a.m. today on WGN’s Morning News (Channel 9 in Chicago).
The event will feature ventriloquist Chuck Fields and Friends as master of ceremonies and host.
“Circus Boy” will ride the World’s Smallest Tricycle, a feat that landed him in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” and perform his comical juggling antics.
Illusionist Frank Glab, known as “Frankini,” will demonstrate his fire-eating abilities, as well as his other magic characters, including an Egyptian Magician. The description for the latter goes something like this: “Not only does he display the magic and illusions that once were presented before the pharohs of ancient Egypt, he also is a half-naked man juggling knives! Need we say more?”
After the show, the magicians will do a meet-and-greet and autograph posters, Cruz said.
“I don’t know how many shows you can actually meet the performers,” he said.
“Everyone’s going to have a great time.”
NOTHIN’ UP MY SLEEVE

WHEN: 6 p.m. April 16

WHERE: Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St., Crystal Lake

INFO: Annual magic show brings together some of the Midwest’s finest magicians and entertainers. Children and adults of all ages will be mystified, dazzled, befuddled and bamboozled by tricks, sleight-of-hand, amazing illusions and juggling. Tickets: $17, $20, $23 at 815-356-9212 or www.rauecenter.org.

Circus crews show they're an efficient act

By JACKIE LEATHERMAN

Today's News-Herald

Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The first vehicle in the procession pulled up to the rodeo fairgrounds in Lake Havasu City around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
It was the 32-man tent crew. Their first task: drive 205 stakes into the ground.
The 150-foot by 220-foot big red top tent started to unfold over the next four hours.
All the while, a procession of 45 vehicles, more than half of them semi-trucks, rolled onto the grounds at SARA Park south of the city.
Thirty-six animals, from a zebra to elephants, were unloaded, watered and fed.
Then the mobile office pulled up, followed by the traveling kitchen, the concessions and the mechanical department that pulls up the rear just in case a vehicle breaks down while traveling.
The crew had awakened early in Prescott and drove south nearly 200 miles to perform two shows in Lake Havasu City Wednesday.
Today they move on to Parker, then to 29 Palms to kick off their seven-week tour through California.
They perform every single day from mid-March through mid-November. This year, they happen to get Easter off.
Every single day, 150 people travel the miles to create a two-hour memory for nearly 2,000 people each show. Only about 20 percent of the crew actually performs in the circus.
Barbara Byrd’s family owns the Carson and Barnes Circus, based in Oklahoma. She said her family has owned the circus for 75 years making it the longest, family-circus ownership in America’s history.
She said the circus business is 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And many of the crew are third and fourth generation. She said the traveling exhibit is almost entirely “self-contained” by providing their own electricity, water, septic, school for employees’ children, and an employee cafeteria.
“People have no concept (of what it takes to get a circus show ready),” Byrd said. “We have a great bunch of people … that just want to keep the circus alive.”
Byrd said she spends much of her time making sure licenses and permits are squared away in each of the cities and counties they visit.
But she said she still makes time to watch the shows.
“I enjoy the show,” she said. “It’s something you have to really love or you wouldn’t do it. Sometimes you get jaded and a little tired and you wonder how long (you can do it), but it makes you feel like you are doing something worthwhile. It’s a family thing. I think it’s a thing where you are making memories. We make memories for families.”

Cat circus rolls back into town

April 14, 2011 The Amazing Acro-Cats 3 and 6 p.m., April 17, May 8, Sept. 25 and Oct. 16, Skokie Theatre, 7924 N. Lincoln Ave., Skokie, IL $10-$18. (847) 677-7761, www.skokietheatre.org.
By J.T. MORAND
Samantha Martin gets hung up on a lot.
But that's just the nature of being the ring leader of a cat circus called the Amazing Acro-Cats.
When she pitches the show to theater owners around the country, the call usually ends with a click. The show features 12 cats that walk tight ropes, ride skateboards, push carts, ring bells, jump through hoops, and do assorted other tricks, sometimes with a chicken or groundhog sharing the stage, followed by a concert by the Rock Cats. The Rock Cats "play" guitar, drums and piano ... when they feel like it.
But, the Skokie Theatre didn't hang up on Martin and audiences love her and the cats. The Amazing Acro-Cats are scheduled to perform there April 17, May 8, Sept. 25 and Oct. 16.
SRO shows The Acro-Cats packed the theater last spring. Martin coaxed the felines into performing various feats with a clicker, but prefaced the show with a warning: Although the cats are trained, they are cats and pretty much do whatever they want. The show also included rats, ferrets and fowl, critters cats would love to pounce on. The potential for disaster seemed immense, especially with children and adults laughing and clapping. An animal freak-out was bound to happen.
read more at:http://www.pioneerlocal.com/parkridge/entertainment/3148686,entertainment-cook-acrocats-041411-s1.article

Vallejo's Spring Carnival sets up for 4-day run along the waterfront

The Butler Amusement Big Wheel spins against a night sky during last year's Spring Carnival along the Vallejo waterfront. More than a dozen midway rides and other amusements will be available from Thursday through Sunday. (Chris Riley / Times-Herald)
Times-Herald staff report
Posted: 04/13/2011, http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_17833711?nclick_check=1
Butler Amusements' fifth annual Vallejo Spring Carnival is set for Thursday though Sunday along the waterfront, carnival officials said.
The event will be held at Service Club Park, at Mare Island Way and Georgia Street in celebration of the carnival's 42 years in business, they said.
Butler Amusements brings some of its most popular rides this year, including The Yo Yo -- a variation of the swing, which turns and leans, spokesman Mike Gorman said.
The Giant Wheel, Supershot, Nitro, Haywire, Slide, Thunderbolt and Viper will be among the more than a dozen rides available this year, officials said.
Butler Amusements, Inc. operates more than 100 amusement rides in six western states -- California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona.
If you go ...
What: Butler Amusements' fifth annual Vallejo Spring Carnival.Where: Service Club Park at Mare Island Way and Georgia Street.
When: Thursday through Sunday. Hours -- 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday; 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.Cost: $2 adult admission, children under 6, free. Rides are $1 per coupon and range from three to five coupons. A $25 wristband is available for unlimited rides.

Love of the circus wins Rome teen a spot on traveling youth circus

By WKTV News Apr 13, 2011 ROME, N.Y. - Fourteen-year-old Sam Ferlo of Rome is running off to join the circus this summer – with his family’s blessing. Sam’s skills as a clown and juggler have won him a spot on tour with Circus Smirkus, the award-winning, international, traveling youth circus based in Vermont. From early July through mid-August, the troupe will travel with its European-made Big Top tent to 15 venues throughout the Northeast, and will perform nearly 70 individual shows. In New York, Smirkus will play in Plattsburgh July 10 and 11 and in Saratoga Springs July 13 and 14. Sam began studying clowning when he was about three years old, says his mother, Mary Beth Ferlo a customer service representative at MetLife. “He wanted to watch videos of Laurel and Hardy, and The Three Stooges rather than cartoons,” she recalls. “You could actually see him studying the art of clowning. By the time he was seven, he was juggling with help from his late father Ted Ferlo, a clown who worked with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey for five years. Ted taught Sam juggling and balance. His mother, Mary Beth, formerly worked as a showgirl with Ringling. “Sam never wanted to learn to dance,” she quipped. Sam first learned about the Vermont-based Circus Smirkus when good friends of his parents recognized what they deemed was natural talent. Last fall, he submitted an audition tape to Smirkus headquarters in Greensboro, VT, and was called for a live audition in January. He and 29 other performers ages 10 to 18 were selected for the 2011 Big Top Tour. “I was very excited,” says Sam. “But mostly, I was very grateful.” Life on the road promises to be both fun and exhausting, says Sam. As a “Smirko,” he will join his fellow troupers in doing such tasks as taking care of props, selling tickets and popcorn, and working cooperatively with the tent crew, light and sound technicians, equipment riggers, costumer, musicians and others who travel with the one-ring show. The payoff, he says, is being surrounded by other teens from all parts of the country and the world who bring their love of circus to each performance. This year’s troupers hail from 13 other states – California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont and Washington – as well as New Zealand. Troupers’ skills include juggling, wire-walking, clowning, acrobatics, aerials and unicycling, and acts involving the diabolo, trapeze, cradle, Spanish web and lyra. Over the years, Circus Smirkus has become known for its theme-based and “story” shows. Themes have included Pirates, the Wild West, and Superheroes, while stories have included original circus versions of “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Pinocchio.” This year’s tour continues the tradition of theme-based shows with “Front Page Follies: Big Top Big News!” a circus-style look at old-time journalism. It will feature juggling paperboys, paparazzi clowns, a wacky weatherman, and all the news that fits….in center ring. When not clowning and juggling, Sam is a student at Strough Middle School,* where he will graduate this spring before moving on to Rome Free Academy in September. “I don‘t mind school so much,” says Sam. “But I‘d rather be traveling on the road and performing!.” For information and tickets, log on to www.smirkus.org , or call 1-877-SMIRKUS (1-877-764-7587

Circus possibly coming to town this year as Masons' fundraiser

by KEN LAHMERS EDITOR Aurora, Ohio -- A circus may be headed to town for two shows this summer as a fundraiser for W.K. Ricksecker Masonic Lodge 606. However, the city would have to grant the lodge permission to use Ballfields 1 and 2 on the north side of West Pioneer Trail on Aug. 3. Tony Marotta, a member of the lodge, approached the parks/recreation committee April 7, seeking permission to use the ballfields. He said the Kelly Miller Circus currently has Aug. 3 -- a Wednesday -- as an open date to bring the shows here. He explained circus workers would transport their animals, performers and equipment here, set up a tent to seat 1,000 people, run the shows and tear down -- probably within 24 hours. The circus and Masonic Lodge would handle everything and have insurance to cover liability, and there should be little financial burden for the city, Marotta said. He added it would be an opportunity for the lodge to open up its building across the street to promote its purpose to circus goers who choose to visit. Parks-Rec Director Jim Kraus said the city could either charge the group the going rate for renting the two ballfields or determine a different fee. The panel referred the request to Law Director Alan Shorr, who will look into any legal matters before a final decision is made.

Circus Flora Celebrates 25th Season with VAGABOND ADVENTURES, 6/2-26

April 12, 2011 In celebration of its 25th season, Circus Flora, St. Louis' beloved, one-ring circus presents a brand new show, Vagabond Adventures, June 2 through 26, under the air-conditioned, red-and-white, big top tent in Grand Center. Presented by Edward Jones, the show comes on the heels of Circus Flora's triumph with the St. Louis Symphony in January. Vagabond Adventures is set on the Floating Palace, an actual circus venue that traveled up and down the Mississippi River before the Civil War. This majestic riverboat triggers the season's thrilling caper, picking up where the critically acclaimed Symphony performance left off. "It's been 25 years in the making, and we are pulling out all the stops," said Ivor David Balding, producer and artistic director. "We are especially excited that so many performers who have made this circus what it is today will be back to help us celebrate." Vagabond Adventuresreunites Circus Flora stars from the last quarter century such as the Flying Wallendas on the high wire, the dazzling acrobatics of the St. Louis Arches, the Flying Pages on the flying trapeze, Una Mimnagh on the corde lisse (vertical rope), legendary circus performer and Circus Flora co-founder Alexandre Sacha Pavlata as well as everyone's favorite clown, Giovanni Zoppé as Nino. Read more: http://stlouis.broadwayworld.com/article/Circus_Flora_Celebrates_25th_Season_with_VAGABOND_ADVENTURES_6226_20110412#ixzz1JRatjXsh

CrushNotes: Everything You Need To Know About The Novel 'Water For Elephants'

MTV News in CrushNotes

by Aimee Curran

Hollywood Crush loves a good book—and so do moviemakers, seeing as more than a few of our favorite reads are headed for the silver screen. With so many adaptations in the works, keeping the ol' reading list current is harder than ever, which is where CrushNotes comes in! We give you the low-down on books before they hit the big screen. Lion and tigers and bears! Oh my! Hollywood has been buzzing about "Water for Elephants" for almost a year now. With its April 22 release on the horizon, we are biting at the bit to see Sara Gruen's non-stop page turner hit the silver screen. The story of what goes on behind the scenes of the rag-tag Benzini Brothers traveling circus takes readers on an emotional roller coaster ride that is not only funny, thoughtful and heartfelt, but at times, a downright tearjerker. Here's what you should know about the novel before the movie comes to theaters next Friday!Characters you need to know: Most importantly, Jacob Jankowski, a veterinary student who falls for Marlena, the Benzini Brothers' animal exhibitionist, who is married to August the ringleader. Sharing Jacob's adventure, and showing him the ropes, are his misfit circus friends Camel and Walter. Surprisingly, the story's breakout star is a large African elephant named Rosie.

Plot Synopsis: After losing his parents in a tragic car accident, Jacob drops out during his senior finals at Cornell and jumps a midnight train. Waking up to discover he has ended up in the middle of a traveling circus, he quickly settles in as the Benzini Brothers vet. Crossing the country, jumping from town to town, Jacob finds himself in the company of a motley crew of friends, discovering love for the first time and fighting for his life in the greatest show on Earth. Stars: Robert Pattinson has put his glitter lotion in a drawer and slipped into the circus shoes of lead character Jacob Jankowski, while Academy Award winners Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz help navigate his circus life as Marlena and August. And who could forget Tai the Elephant!?

A scene from the book that must be in the film: Jacob and Marlena finally giving in to their undeniable attraction for each other. It's the stuff all good love stories are made of and will make anyone want to run away to the circus. Whether or not the two end up together at the end of the movie is something you'll just have to wait to find out.

What the film's got over the book: Robert Pattinson…duh. Please excuse us as we wipe the drool from our faces. Besides being able to stare at his holy hotness, the story in itself is so magical, we can't wait to see it play out before our very eyes and transport us back to the 1930s. Plus, with A-list Hollywood heavy-weights carrying the film, it's a no-brainer that it's gonna be good.

Nothing can top this St Kilda circus show

Moscow Circus primary school student Dalton with his bird-eating spider. PIC: JASON SAMMON N42CK55 13 Apr 11 By Sally Spalding from whereilive.com.au THEIR back yards are sandy one week and red dirt the next, but not one of these circus children would swap their life with a city kid’s. The 13 children in the Moscow Circus primary school - inside a former dressing room caravan - are in class from 9am-3pm Tuesday to Thursday and weekends. They get time off on Mondays and Fridays. But every Christmas they get four weeks to go and do the things children like to do in the holidays. “I like theme parks, the zoo, Luna Park and the movies,” Kiarnna, 12, said. Despite having two homes, one in Brisbane and another in New Zealand, mother Marie Weber said her four children preferred life on the road. “They want to come back to the circus as soon as we leave and they prefer all sleeping together in the caravan than in their own rooms at home,” she said. Teacher Donna Thompson said the curriculum for circus children was no different. “We cover English, maths, reading and writing and they learn circus tricks and craft as well,” Ms Thompson said. St Kilda is the 66th suburb the circus has performed in on its national tour and the families have been on the road for 2 1/2 years. The Great Moscow Circus big top will be in South Beach Reserve, St Kilda, until April 26. Bookings: Ticketek, 132 849. Details: moscowcircus.com.au

Another news reporter visits the circus Posted on April 13, 2011 by TellyGunge It’s not quite a scene of legend like Alison Jacks or Courtney Friel, but it’s a decent pie in the face, and fortunately they sent an attractive female reporter to receive it.

Comedy Magic Circus show coming to Spring Grove Friday night

Fourteen-year-old Mabelle Davison entertains audiences all over the U.S. with her unicycle antics.

By Marlene Deschler, Community Reporter

4/12/2011 Mark your calendars for an evening of family fun and laughter this Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m. Families For Education (F.F.E.) is hosting Pat Davison's Comedy Magic Circus in the Spring Grove Public School gymnasium. This show features Pat Davison, his wife, Marites, and their 14-year-old daughter, Mabelle. They have been featured in shows in two dozen countries around the world and are bringing their juggling, balancing, unicycling, magic, comedy show to Spring Grove. "We [F.F.E.] wanted to bring something new and different to Spring Grove that would be entertainment that a whole family with children of any age could enjoy," said Amy Gross, F.F.E. board member. "We're excited and looking forward to seeing this unique act." The school received an e-mail from Pat Davison regarding his show and that he was in the area. They are based out of Mission, Texas, but they are performing for a Shriners event in the Twin Cities and were interested in doing other shows in the area. "He has been great to work with," said Gross. "He's not charging us mileage or any money upfront, his payment will come from his portion of the ticket sales on Friday night." F.F.E. receives 50 percent of the ticket cost up to 300 tickets with the Comedy Magic Circus receiving the other 50 percent. For any tickets sold over 300, F.F.E. will receive 100 percent of the ticket cost. "We hope people will spread the word and invite their families and friends from the area to this fun show," added Gross. "It would be great to see the whole gymnasium filled! It would show great support for the school and community." There will also be a concession stand during the show, and Pat Davison will have a booth where he'll be selling magic tricks and other items. Tickets for Pat Davison's Comedy Magic Circus are $6 for ages 3 and up; children 2 and under are free. Tickets will be available at the door or for priority seating contact Gross at 498-3610 or Heidi Christiansen at 498-3551 to reserve tickets in advance. Students in kindergarten through sixth grade will also be able to participate in a coloring contest with the winners announced the night of the show. Watch for more information coming home with children from school.

PROF. STU MILLER'S

AMERICAN SHOWTIME CIRCUS

On 4-05-93, while driving past the Sumpter County Fairgrounds, outside Webster,Fl, I noticed circus equipment parked. I talked to two workman who said the equipment belonged to "Tommy Lunsford Show". Stu & Sara Miller were the Mangers according to these men, who said the show played mainly indoor dates. These two workmen were only poeple on site. All photos by Bill Prickett

~ MORE TO COME TOMORROW!~

Shrine Circus in town PASCO, Wash.—Are you looking for something fun to do this week?

Clowns, animals and the Ring Master are all in town. The Shrine Circus crew is getting ready for opening day on Thursday. Crews say it takes about 20 people and 2 days to set-up. Everyone helps out including the Ring Master. "Right now we're getting started with all the marking. Everything is about marking with this tent. It's a very big tent. It's a brand new tent from Italy, and so everything has to be exactly perfect," says Joseph Bauer, Ring Master. The tent holds 2,800 people. Bauer says they expect the shows to be sold-out, but as of now, you can still buy your tickets at Albertsons of PascoShrineCircus.com. The circus will be in town for four days.

Check out video at top of page!

Young star's balancing act awe-inspiring

CAMERON BURNELL/Taranaki Daily NewsSHOW STOPPER: Acrobat Yue Peng, 11, practises his balancing routine in preparation for performing in the Zirka Circus, which opens in New Plymouth tomorrow night.

KATE SAUNDERS, Taranaki Daily News (NZ) 12/04/20 .

Wow factor is apparently the same in any language. The Zirka Circus is in town, and despite star acrobatic performer Yue Peng, 11, speaking no English, he still stunned the Taranaki Daily News crew during a training session yesterday afternoon. Yue, who is known to the circus family as Panda, has been an acrobat since the age of five. Dressed in a sparkly orange hooded suit, the wee gymnast put our adult strength to shame with one-handed balancing, including moving up and down a small flight of stairs. Circus general manager James Finlayson said originally Yue trained every day to perfect his routine, but now practises about four days a week for an hour at a time. Yue indicated his precarious party trick did not hurt to perform. However, Mr Finlayson said part of the training was learning how to fall correctly, and most bumps and bruises happened during practices. Mr Finlayson said the show included aerial and balancing acts, people stacking, clowns and magic. "The main difference is that the whole show is fully choreographed and themed. "There are no safety wires, which adds to the awe factor for the audience," he said. The performance, set to music, was a complete show along the lines of other contemporary circuses such as Cirque du Soleil. Founded by Jeni Hou, the circus is based in Hamilton and has been touring New Zealand since September 2009. Ms Hou's family owns an acrobatic school in China, and many of the current 30 performers have trained there. New Plymouth is the second-to-last stop on the nationwide Zirka tour, which tells a tale of love overcoming all. Mr Finlayson said the response had been amazing so far. "The audience have loved it. They've been amazed and freaked out." The circus will run in New Plymouth on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights, with three shows on Saturday. Book on 0800 294752.

Aerial Showreel presented by CGEAgency

Circus moves to Norfolk Scope

Published : Monday, 11 Apr 2011 NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - The Ringling Bros. Barnun & Bailey Circus moved into the Norfolk Scope Arena Monday night. Elephants, horses, and their trainers walked from the Lambert's Point train terminal to the Scope in downtown. The circus was at the Hampton Coliseum last week. Opening night in Norfolk is Thursday, and the circus will be in town until Sunday night. Tickets start at $10 for kids. If you get there early, you can meet and greet the animals and the performers before they take the three rings

(VIDEO ABOVE)

This college encourages students to get high —

on a tightrope, trapeze or trampolineIllinois State University's Gamma Phi Circus has been wowing audiences since the 1930s. It's a rigorous, risky, unpaid activity, but the student acrobats 'do it because they love it.'picture

Performers in Illinois State's Gamma Phi Circus practice their "wall trampoline" routine, bouncing off their backs and then climbing to the top beam or flipping off of the glass wall. (Chuck Berman, Chicago Tribune) By Ted Gregory, Chicago Tribune April 10, 2011 Reporting from Normal, Ill.— Some teenagers leave home to go to college. Some leave to join the circus. Nena Woo did both. Woo attends Illinois State University and is a member of one of the rarest organizations on U.S. campuses: a collegiate circus. "When I left high school, I really wanted something new, something different," said Woo, a senior from Bourbonnais, Ill. "I wanted to do something I didn't even know about, and when I found this, I was like, 'Wow, this is it.' " Her specialty is the aerial hoop, a metal contraption about 40 inches in diameter suspended about 30 feet from the floor. Woo performs in and around it. She also walks the tight wire and swings on the trapeze. Never mind that she is afraid of heights. "I hate heights," she said. "But I hate that I hate heights. I'm trying to get rid of it." Illinois State's Gamma Phi Circus will mark its 80th year of performing with three shows starting Friday. It is one of only two university circuses; the other is Florida State's Flying High Circus, started in 1947 by an Illinois State alum. Performers don't receive scholarship money or academic credit, and they aren't paid. Some have performing experience but most of the 60 student members have none. "I think we have the most dedicated, hardest-working students on campus," circus Director Marcus Alouan said. "They give up hours and hours of time. They put their bodies through incredible amounts of abuse and stress and … they do it because they love it." The two-hour performances draw an average audience of 6,000 to the university's Redbird Arena and feature standard circus fare — juggling, tumbling, unicycles, teeterboard and clowns.read more at:http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-illinois-college-circus-20110411,0,4873803.story

Speed Juggling Act presented by CGEAgency

40th Annual Triton Troupers Circus

A daring Triple Trapeze routine at the circus. By Rachel Smith TRITON TROUPERS CIRCUS SHOW DATES FOR 2011 (40th season). Triton Troupers Circus is an extraordinary show based out of Triton College near Chicago which has performed annually since 1972! 2011 shows:Thursday April 14th – 7pmFriday April 15th – 7pmSaturday April 16th – *1pm and 7pm (*1pm Saturday show is interpreted for the hearing impaired.) 2001 N 5th Ave, River Grove IL.The Triton Troupers Circus performance is in the Robert M. Collins Center Gymnasium on the Triton campus, just West of Chicago, near North Avenue and Maywood Park. The Gym is on the EAST side of the street, adjacent to free parking lot and sports fields. All shows are handicapped accessible, all ages, and animal-free. The show is about two hours long including an intermission, and drinks and snacks are sold. Show may include fog and strobes, as well as balloons and confetti. Doors open one hour before show time, so come early for best parking and tickets, and enjoy the clown pre-show. Tickets are just $6 purchased at the door before the show. For advanced ticket sales call Student Services at 708/456-0300 (TTY 800-526-0844). Triton Troupers Circus is a non-profit effort dedicated to the preservation of the circus arts and to the local community. Triton Troupers Circus features skilled performers in classic circus specialties such as Chairs, Clowning, Double Stunts, Globes, Gymwheel, Juggling, Statues, Teeterboard, Trampoline, Trapeze, Unicycle, Web, Wire, feats of strength and more. Come see our fun website: TritonTroupersCircus.com

Circus is coming to town

Submitted photo

Clowns with the Kelly Miller Circus arrive to promote the show. Monday, April 11, 2011 from: dailyjournalonline.com St. Francois County Rotary Club has signed a contract with the Kelly Miller Circus for the exhibition of an all new 2011 show. The circus will roll into town on Thursday. Everyone is invited to come out and watch the animals being unloaded and fed, and the elephants raising the big top. Activities will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the St. Francois County Fairgrounds and the tent will be raised at 9 a.m. Guides will be furnished for school groups and anyone attending. The traditional "old style" circus will present two performances at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets bought in advance are $10 for adults and $6 for children. Tickets purchased on the show day at the circus box office will be $15 for adults and $7 for children. Tickets may be purchased from any Rotary member as well as the following locations: Hastings Hobbies and More, Bankstar of the Leadbelt in Park Hills and inside Wal-Mart in Farmington, MO location, Belgrade in Desloge and Farmington, Redfield Collision Center in Farmington, First State Community Bank in Bonne Terre and Farmington locations. The 2011 season promises to be more exciting than ever with many new acts and entertainers to amaze and amuse you. Come out and enjoy a day of fun filled excitement at the circus.

Anything Better Then A Hot Dog?

Is there anything better then on a summer day eating a steamed or grilled Hot Dog?

I like them with everything on them or with just mustard.

And I'm pretty sure even the health gurus' on TV eat them every once in a while.

A Hot Dog that is cooked right and dressed perfectly can put you in a good mood for the rest of the day.

Plump and juicy sitting on a plain bun, a fancy seeded bun or just between two slices of bread can transport you back to your childhood faster then a tall glass of lemonade.

Mustard, ketchup, onions, relish, sour kraut, pickles, and on and on.

Try a little celery salt or garlic salt in boiling water when cooking your Hot Dogs.

Wrap them in a really sharp cheese before they hit the bun.

I love dicing up fresh from the garden tomatoes and cilantro, mixing in some olive oil and smothering the Hot Dogs in it all.

And don't get me started about fresh pepper or green tomato salsa on my Hot Dogs.

Can you ever sing the praises of Hot Dogs enough?

Of course you can't, Hot Dogs are the embodiment of summer in America.

Oh and it doesn't matter if your state is blue or red, Hot Dogs are for everyone.

Call it a Hot Dog, Frankfurter, Coney, Tube Steak or Wiener. They all cook up with flavor and deliver enjoyment in every bite.

Century-old Pima fair still brings fun

PHOTOS BY BENJIE SANDERS / ARIZONA DAILY STAR With the Crazy Coaster ride as a backdrop, midway workers set up the Sky Flyer ride at the Pima County Fairgrounds.

April 12, 2011

From The Arizona Daily Star

The Pima County Fair, which begins Thursday, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. With concerts, games, carnival rides and food, there's plenty to keep everyone entertained during its 11-day run.

Benjie Sanders Winning a stuffed animal is a tradition at fairs nationwide, and these giant ones will be among the most sought-after. If you go The Pima County Fair. • When: Thursday-April 24. • Times: Noon-midnight Mondays-Fridays; 10 a.m.-midnight Saturdays-Sundays. Carnival area is open 3 p.m.-midnight Mondays-Fridays; 11 a.m.-midnight Saturdays-Sundays. • Where: Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road. • Tickets: $8, with discounts available. • Parking: $5. • More info: pimacountyfair.com

The Grand Wheel ride doesn't rise to majestic heights all by itself. It takes skill, coordination and know-how to erect each ride.