BIG E CIRCUS, AT THE EASTERN STATES EXPO

The Big E Super Circus, sponsored by Coca-Cola

Look for the NEW Big Top tent near the Giant Slide!
Three Free Shows Daily at 1, 4 & 7 p.m.
Your Ringmaster, David Michael Maas
Miss Vicenta’s White Tigers
David & Dania, A Magical Transformation
Kris Kremo, Juggler
Yelena Larkina’s Hula Hoop
Tempo Trapeze
Alexandra’s Net Trapeze
Raul Castano’s Comedy
The Grand Finale, A patriotic tribute to our homeland!

VISIT THE BIG E SUPER CIRCUS WALKWAY OF CIRCUS STARS
Our walkway of Circus Stars honors and highlights the performers who have headlined in The Big E Super Circus over the years. The following circus greats have been honored at our walkway.

Mark Karoly – 1992; Dolly Jacobs – 1996; Tommy Hanneford – 1997; Sylvia Zerbini – 1998; David Maas & Dania Kaseeva – 1999; Cesar Aedo – 2000; Pedro Carrillo – 2001; Svetlana Shamsheeva – 2003; Father Jack Toner; Circus Priest – 2004; The Great Wallendas 7-Man Pyramid – 2005; The Marinofs – 2006: Aleysa Goulevitch – 2007; The Flying Pages – 2008; Struppi Hanneford – 2009; Wayne McCary – 2009.

CABARRUS COUNTY, NC FAIR OPENS

Cabarrus County Fair opens

By Meghan Cooke, Sept 15, 2010

The Cabarrus County Fair will make its annual run through Saturday.
Although today's fair-goers know the fair for its twirling rides and fried delicacies, the fair has a history tied to the county's agricultural roots that goes back as far as the 1800s.
Children's reactions to the lights and sounds are the same as they were on opening day in 1953, said Clarence Horton of Kannapolis, who was 13 when the fair opened.
"You still see their eyes light up," said Horton.
He remembers the rides - the first ferris wheel he'd probably ever seen, he said - and the games and food.
And as he got older, the fair became the popular place to go on dates.
There was just something magical about the fair, he said.
Up until eight years ago, the fair was planned and financed by an independent fair board.
But in 2002, the fair-became a county operation, becoming one of the few government-run fairs in the state.
That same year, the fair moved to its current location at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center.
Former Concord Mayor Harold McEachern was in his 20s when the fair opened in 1953.
He attributes the county fair's success to community involvement from local people, businesses and churches.
"If you take the community out of the fair, all you've got is a carnival," he said.
The fair will always be a special place, he said.
"You can go to a movie any time you want, but you can only go the fair once a year."
Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/09/15/1682065/cabarrus-county-fair-opens.html#ixzz0zaxMCxx6

Stars of the Doggies of the Wild West Variety show wait to go on stage at the Cabarrus County Fair. The fair runs Sept. 10-18 at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center in Concord. MEGHAN COOKE - macooke@newsofcabarrus.com

ANOTHER HUGO BASED SHOW FROM THE PAST...

FIRST DAY ISSUE

GREAT AMERICAN CIRCUS 1981

JAMES CHRISTY COLE CIRCUS....

The circus is coming to town!

Monday, Sep 13th, 2010

Brookings, SD

The James Cristy Cole Circus is a true old-fashioned, three-ring circus that has been entertaining kids of all ages for 20 years. It will be making a stop at the Swiftel Center on Tuesday, Sept. 14, with two performances at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“The James Christy Cole Circus offers three rings of acts featuring elephants, tigers, horses, camels, and other animals, along with an actual 1927 Ford Model T – it actually still runs”, says Jenny Hammrich, director of sales and marketing at the Swiftel Center.
“The show will also include aerial gymnasts from Romania and circus performers from Argentina.
Kids will love the dog and pony review of trainer Laura Herriott, which also features a mixed group consisting of a camel, an English draft horse, llama, American miniature stallions and a Labrador retriever.
America’s own wild animal trainer, Brian Franzan, will perform in the steel-bound arena with a select group of royal Bengal tigers, featuring the rare and beautiful white tiger. The parade of elephants will feature Oka, the only fully grown elephant in the world today to balance on a rolling ball.
No circus would be complete without a ringmaster, and this show’s ringmaster is a mother of three – Cristine Herriott-Plunkett. Appearing with her are her registered Lipizzaner pinto and her miniature stallion.
As co-producer of the James Cristy Cole Circus, Herriott-Plunkett designs and sews all of her costumes and puts the “bling in the ring!”
General admission tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children. Limited VIP packages will also be available for $25 each. The VIP package includes admittance to a pre-show party, a meet-n-greet with various circus acts, and backstage access.

PBS SPECIAL COMMING IN NOVEMBER, 2010

http://www.pbs.org/opb/circus/circus-... Some people run away with the circus as an escape from their tangled lives. Others yearn for adventure. Members of the Big Apple Circus cast and crew share their reasons for joining the circus life. Tell us: When the big top pops up in your hometown, are you ever tempted to run away with the circus? Have you actually done it? Tell us your story at the PBS CIRCUS Web site: http://www.pbs.org/opb/circus/circus-...
In November 2010, step inside the ring, where the stories are true and the magic is real. Take an intimate look at the mysteries, thrills and dramas that fill the big top and spread throughout the back lot. Go on an unforgettable trip with the diverse characters who make up the legendary Big Apple Circus with PBS' new six-hour miniseries CIRCUS.

STRUPPI'S NEW TENT AT THE BIG E, WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA

WEST END FAIR, GILBERT, PA (AUGUST 25, 2010) (WNEP TV)

YORK PA FAIR 2010

yorkdispatch | September 06, 2010
Mary's Famous Steaks stand prepares for another York Fair

Excellent news for Russian circus fish

edmontonjournal.com September 12, 2010
One of the star attractions of the Great Moscow Circus travelling the seven seas has been its so-called "fountain act." That alleged entertainment included the grisly spectacle of a performer swallowing a large live fish and then regurgitating it.
To its credit, the Australian state of New South Wales would have none of that, delivering a message to the Muscovites that "circuses ... must comply with prescribed standards for the welfare of animals."
Chastened management quickly shelved the act and promised it would be rejigged without using live fish. As Animals Australia executive director Glenys Oogjes summed up, "some circuses continue to claim that performing animal acts are educational. Far from educational, this was an inhumane and foolish act which reflected badly on the Great Moscow Circus."
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

Barnum and Bailey Ringling Brothers Circus in York-

share your memories--

How many times did the Barnum and Bailey Circus come to York? JimmyBear
24-June 09 from:www. inyork.com

I just visited the Circus model builders' display at the 2010 York Fair.

Everyone should see this display in Memorial Hall. It is terrific! The models of the big top and circus trains bring back many memories of attending circuses as a kid. Around 1953-1954 Barnum and Bailey"s Circus came to York. It did not set up on the York Fairgrounds. One of the reasons was that in those days it was very difficult to get approval to use the Fair Ground for any purpose other than Fair Week. It was also too expensive to rent. So, the Greatest Show on Earth set up in the field west of the fairgrounds in what is part of the West York high School campus today.
I will always remember that day because my mother took me there to watch the workers set up the big top. I was fascinated as I watched the elephants holding poles that supported the canvas for the big top. It was quite entertaining to see the workers drive the tent stakes into the ground. Three workers would stand around a tent stake and in perfect harmony would hit the stake like a piece of well oiled machinery -1-2-3 and it was in the ground and they would move onto the next stake and drive it in the ground.
I remember seeing baby lion cubs in wagon cages and a man wanted to stick his arm and hand in the cage to play with them and the circus trainer warned him, saying that just the week before they tore off the arm of a man who did the same. I still remember the colorful circus parade which proceeded around the outside of the of the three rings. The pretty girls riding on top of painted elephants with matching colored dresses and dyed hair. While the show went on I couldn't concentrate because under the bleachers at the base of the the big top were these lions guarding the big top lest someone would sneak in the circus under the canvas wall of the tent without paying. I looked at them and was frightened. I told my mom about the lions and then she said they weren't lions but fawn colored Great Danes guarding to make sure no one sneaked into the circus without paying.
As a little boy I was fascinated by high flying trapeze artists. and the man shot out of the cannon. I also remember seeing the ticket lady who was a midget, suffering from the heat. She had a huge chunk of ice ( probably 8 -12 inches long) which she would rub on her forehead occasionally to keep cool.
Does anyone else have memories of the Barnum and Bailey's Circus or other circuses that came to York? Please share them. Does anyone know the last time Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus came to York? What was the last year Ringling Brothers Circus came to York?

Bid to save Venice circus arena advances

Trapeze artist sways City Council with plans for a museum

By TERRY O'CONNOR,Correspondent, September 11, 2010

Trapeze artist Tito Gaona prepares for a trapeze lesson on the grounds of the former circus arena in this February 2010 file photo.

HERALD-TRIBUNE ARCHIVE / FEBRUARY 2010

VENICE - The Venice City Council took a big step toward allowing preservation of the former circus arena north of the Circus Bridge this week when it pulled $250,000 in demolition costs out of the budget, giving restoration organizers some breathing room. "They have a deadline this fall to give us a sense of what their business plan looks like," said Mayor Ed Martin. "At that point, council could say we're not going to hold off any more and we're vigorously going to seek other options or let this play out. If it's not possible to save it, it's not possible and we'll have to see what we can do for an encore."
Fifth-generation trapeze artist Tito Gaona swayed the council with his vision of a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus museum to fill the void left when the circus departed in 1991. His quixotic seven-year quest to save the building from rotting, however, is far from assured.
When the last tenant left in 2000, city officials estimated it would cost $450,000 to rehabilitate the 5,100-seat arena. Now it is falling apart, with rusted holes in the roof, and Gaona's Circus Foundation estimates renovation costs at $10 million.
The gaping chasm between needed funding and the $30,000 raised in restoration donations so far does not discourage Gaona.
"In these times it's been hard but the city came to a moment, and saw we took responsibility, and they are giving us a chance," Gaona said. "They left it so long, why not work with us?"
Gaona said the first repair job is to fix the roof. The Circus Foundation has applied for numerous grants to pay for repairs.
"We've already cleaned it up," he said. "Our engineers and architects are looking into stopping the water from leaking and getting it into a shape presentable to people."
Renovating the circus property and preserving its history is not enough. Federal law requires any operation must be a revenue producer for the airport fund because it sits on airport property.
Martin said any arena would be challenged to make money. But he is excited about preserving the historic tradition of Venice with a functional arena that could attract tourists and be used for events.
"Since nobody else is beating on the door the city isn't losing anything by letting the foundation try to pull this together," Martin said. "They've put a lot of sweat equity into it already -- 200 people showed on a hot day to pull weeds. It deserves as much latitude as we can give."
Gaona said giving up on historic city buildings is usually followed by regret. "It's easy to take down everything," he said. "And at the end they say, 'Man, I wish they would have kept it.' "
"We've already cleaned it up," he said. "Our engineers and architects are looking into stopping the water from leaking and getting it into a shape presentable to people."

read more at:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100911/ARTICLE/9111039/2058/NEWS#

Kooza to bring circus roots to Calgary

By Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald September 11, 2010

Kooza Photograph by: Courtesy, Cirque du Soleil

CALGARY -- Cirque du Soleil returns to its humble circus roots
Given that Stephane Roy is a renowned set designer known for his elaborate Cirque du Soleil creations, it would have been understandable if he was less-than-thrilled upon hearing about the back-to-basics premise of Kooza.
As with most Cirque productions, the set designer was among the first enlisted for the creative team that would eventually create the production, which was launched back in 2007.
Being among the first creative voices gave Roy, a Cirque veteran, a blank canvas of sorts. He didn't realize that director David Shiner, a clown and Broadway performer who is probably best known for originating the Cat in the Hat in Seussical, would take that term literally.
"The concept from David was a white curtain with nothing on stage," Roy says, sitting in a small meeting room at Cirque headquarters in Montreal. "I said, 'Let's start from there. But that's not going to happen.' "
In the world of Cirque du Soleil's extravagant productions, back-to-basics is a relative term. But talk to anyone involved in Kooza, which Cirque will bring to Calgary's Stampede Park from Sept. 16 to Oct. 24, and they will suggest the guiding principle behind the show was to get back to those early linchpins of Cirque.
"Circus. Circus. Circus," Roy says, about the marching orders given to the creative team by eccentric Cirque founder Guy Laliberte. "It's to be a funny show -- the real circus, what circus is all about. That's the premise from Guy Laliberte."
So Shiner -- an American performer well-versed in both Cirque and the rarefied art of clowning -- was enlisted to direct and Roy was given carte blanche to create the production's unique look.
And while he may have vetoed the white curtain idea, Roy said his initial aim was to create a more modest design than Cirque's previous big-top show, 2005's Corteo.
"When I designed Kooza, it was with 30 per cent of the budget of Corteo," says Roy. "It was for fun, we had the money. But we thought, 'Let's do a show with less money and do a real circus.' It was the opposite of the sky's the limit. We had a limit, and even at the end of the project I gave back $20,000 to Guy."