GREATER TAMPA SHOWMAN'S CLUB 1955 YEAR BOOK...

Don't forget, Click on each picture to enlarge and read!

JAMES E. STRATES SHOWS AT THE ORANGE COUNTY FAIR (STEVE KEELER)

Steve Keeler took these pictures just a couple of days ago.

The Orange County Fair is located in

Middletown, NY.

Bill and I played it with Amusements of America
quite a few years ago!

There are so many pictures that I will post them for the

next few days!

I remember being amazed in that it's the only fair that
we ever played that had Bars right on the Midway.
Now I just don't mean beer but liquor as well!
Personally I never beleived alcoholic beveridges had any business
being on a fair midway.

SARATOGA FAIR, BALSTON SPRINGS, NY (FROM RONALD FINCH)

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND...

Bastion park: picnic, pool and free circus performances
Argentinian circus at Bastions ParkGeneva, Switzerland –

For the past three weeks, kids and grown-ups who love the circus arts have been gathering at Bastions Park to watch free performances, take free circus lessons, listen to free concerts, and enjoy the weather.
Every Wednesday to Sunday at 20:00 performers from as far away as Australia, Argentina and Japan – as well as from Switzerland and neighbouring France, entertain the crowd at the Park.
Among the jewels who will be performing in the coming weeks are Dutch performers bringing “circus jazz,” Swiss performing contemporary acrobatic dance, mimes from Japan, and a Chilean tightrope-walker who will render his version of a Jean Genet piece on the rope. (See the full program here).
The program is part of a year-long celebration of circus. Geneva has become the first city to be named international capital of world circus by the international circus council.
Many people picnic during the performances, and many families enjoy the shows while their rug-rats play by the sandbox. A few bold children even brave Calvin’s cool stare to dip in the water.
A family affair, but with enough appeal for the hip, young crowd.

FREMONT, OHIO...

Circus gets high-flying start in Fremont, Ohio

BY LESLIE BIXLER • Staff writer •

July 22, 2010 From The News-Messenger.com

The Carson and Barnes Circus stopped at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds on Wednesday. (Jennifer Young Bower For The News-Messenger

FREMONT -- Going to the circus brings out the kid in everyone.While watching performers dangle from a trapeze, fly through the air or do tricks on the Wheels of Destiny, people stared in awe and wondered what was going to happen next.
The first act of the Carson and Barnes Circus was a woman who was pulled up about 35 feet into the air while holding onto a thick, long blue fabric connected to a disco ball. She performed several moves and hung upside down, secured by the blue fabric as she wrapped it around herself.
"I like all of it," Dennis Byers said. Byers was at the circus Wednesday with his granddaughter, 14-month-old Zoey Byers and her mom, Jamie Byers.
"It's all entertaining and it brings back your childhood," he said, noting Zoey fed animals at the petting zoo and even rode an elephant before the circus started.

Trevor and Felicia Boss and their son, Trevor Jr., enjoy the show. (Jennifer Young Bower For The News-Messenger)

The circus offered two shows, at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds.
The tent itself was impressive, standing about 50 feet and is 144 feet by 180 feet.
Kristen Hammer, of Fremont, said this was her first circus.
"I got to ride an elephant for the first time," she said.
Trevor Franks, 8, of Fremont, said he looked forward to seeing the camels.
This was the first circus for 3-year-old Jillian Greiner and 2-year-old Kendall Lamson, both of Clyde.
"They're excited to see the elephants," Kathy Olszewski said.
Another act included a girl who could dance with numerous Hula Hoops swirling around her.

A performer twirls more than a dozen Hula Hoops. (Jennifer Young Bower For The News-Messenger)

Of course, there were the traditional unicycle tricks. One man jumped rope and even juggled on the unicycle. He then rode a unicycle that was more than 10 feet high, with five stacked wheels.
There was a contortionist who fit his entire body into a small plastic box.
During the intermission, people could go to the petting zoo, buy peanuts or ride an elephant around the circus ring.
Joyce Alridge took her daughter, Jayla, on the elephant.
"It was fun and a little scary," Joyce said after the ride.
For the last act, elephants paraded around and stood on stools.

Lions Club bringing circus to Clyde, Ohio on Aug. 1

BY JEANETTE LIEBOLD-RICKER • July 24, 2010
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls -- step right up!

The circus is coming to Clyde on Aug. 1.

The Kelly Miller Circus, one of only a few traveling shows still in existence, will have two performances, one at 2 p.m. and a second one at 5 p.m. in the south lot of the Clyde Eagles, 1120 S. Main St.

The circus is being brought to town by the Clyde Lions Club.

Circus day begins at 7:30 a.m. when everyone is invited to come and watch the animals being unloaded.

The elephants will begin raising the Big Top at 9 a.m. Guides will be furnished for school groups or others attending.

These are free attractions offered by Kelly Miller Circus for their new 2010 show.

The personnel in the animal department will be glad to answer any questions about the circus animals on display. If one has ever wondered what a camel's foot looks like or how much an elephant eats, they can come see for themselves.
Everyone steps in time and knows exactly what to do. A whole magical world rises up and in just a couple of hours, the vacant lot will be transformed into a field of brightly colored tents, animals from far away lands and aerial equipment for the high wire acts.

According to advertisements, Kelly Brothers has many new acts and entertainers to amaze and amuse their audience. More information can be found at kellymillercircus.com.
Advance tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children younger than 12 and can be purchased from any Lions Club member, First Financial Bank, Clyde Pro-Hardware, Old Fort Bank, Clyde branch, the Sandusky County Chamber of Commerce, the Clyde Findlay Area Credit Union or 1st Place Awards. Miller's Super Valu will have tickets for sale at 505 W. Maple St.
Tickets purchased at the gate are $14 for adults and $7 for children younger than age 12.
According to information provided, the Lions Club will receive a greater share of advance ticket sales than from tickets sold on circus day. This is the first fundraiser for the organization, which was organized April 8, 2010. It is a community service club, dedicated to working for the community. Meetings are at noon and 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month at Arby's in Clyde. David Woodruff is the president.

COLEBROOK, NH...

Circus Is Coming To Colebrook

The Colebrook Kiwanis Club is hosting the Walker Bros. Circus on Tuesday, July 27, at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
The big top will be set up at the Colebrook Industrial Park on Bill Bromage Drive (situated off Bridge Street) near downtown Colebrook.
This show features second and third generation circus performers from around the world.
The list of acts includes performances such as aerial high wire, juggling and comedy.
Adults will be in awe at the performers athletic ability and children will be captivated by the clown's comedic antics during the 90-minute shows.

Event InfoName: Circus Is Coming To Colebrook
Date: 07/27/2010 to 07/27/2010 Time: -
Days: Tuesday
Venue: Colebrook Industrial Park Address: Bill Bromage Drive Colebrook, NH Phone: 237-9939

ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA...

The elephants are here!

"FUNundrum" will be at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario July 21-25

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 2:51 PM

A procession of pachyderms marched into Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario on Monday, getting ready for the circus which will take place on the weekend of July 21-25.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey will be presenting "FUNundrum," an all-new extravaganza, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the legendary P.T. Barnum.

Baby Barack of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus makes his Inland Empire debut on Monday. (Photo by William Vasta for Feld Entertainment)
The show, produced by Feld Entertainment, also features 130 performers from six continents around the world, 13 athletes on a Russian bar, seven motorcycle riders in a Globe of Steel, and plenty of clowns.

CIRCUS HOLLYWOOD AT DELAWARE STATE FAIR...

Mt. Kisco Choreographer Ready For Big Apple Circus

Peter Pucci already has a laundry list of credentials in dance and theater. Just when it seems he's done it all, he sets out to choreograph the circus.

By Nina Markowitz

Mount Kisco resident Peter Pucci has a reputation for being a rigorous, creative and caring choreographer. His expertise ranges from ballet and modern dance to theater and instruction as the Artist in Residence at Manhattanville College--- and everything in between. When it seems as though Pucci has done it all, he goes out and joins the circus.
In three weeks' time, Pucci - who runs Peter Pucci Plus Dancers - will tackle unchartered territory in his career as he steps in to choreograph for the Big Apple Circus.
"I've been working individually with my assistant. We talk a lot about it and put ideas on paper," Pucci said. "There are a lot of unknowns in the circus."
Pucci describes the Big Apple Circus as a worldly affair featuring people of different cultural backgrounds. He goes down a list of the international performers, including a contortionist from Mongolia, an act from China and another from Ethiopia. The differences in culture are what Pucci feels brings the show together.
"The show itself is about the universality of the language of movement," he said. "It's not a dance show, but it is inspired by dance."
Pucci's work for the circus will include opening and closing numbers, as well as working with individual characters throughout the duration of the show.
"It's going to be interesting when you walk into the room and you see people from all over the world," he said. "The circus is very different, that they all have acts that they do and we are going to ask them to do things that they normally don't do."
read more at: http://chappaqua.patch.com/articles/mt-kisco-choreographer-ready-for-big-apple-circus

HEAT DELAY...

Heat Delay At DE State Fair - Latest News
by - WMDT Staff
07/23/2010

HARRINGTON, Del. - Saturday's projected record breaking heat and humidity have caused Delaware State Fair officials to delay some openings.

The fair will still open at the usual time, however, the carnival will not open until 4PM.

CIRCUS POSTERS FROM THE PAST (FROM RJ REYNOLDS)

1938

DELAWARE STATE FAIR....7.22.10

DON'T FORGET TO CLICK EACH PICTURE TO ENLARGE & READ!

DELAWARE STATE FAIR ...7.21.2010

DON'T FORGET CLICK TO ENLARGE & READ!

Ocean City roller coaster accident leaves 3 kids injured

OCEAN CITY, MD— Ocean City police say three children were hurt in a roller coaster accident.Police and fire personnel were called to Trimper's Rides on South Atlantic Avenue around 9:30 p.m. Thursday. The Tidal Wave roller coaster had an apparent mechananical problem that police say injured several passengers.Paramedics took three children between the ages of 10 and 15 years old to area hospitals with injuries that do not appear to be life theatening.
The park stayed open, but the roller coaster is closed until it can be checked by an amusement park ride safety inspector with Maryland Department of Labor and Licensing.
The park's website calls the double-loop boomerang roller coaster the most popular ride in the outdoor park.

Welcome the circus as it lumbers into Dallas

Jul. 22, 2010
Welcome the circus
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus comes to the Metroplex next week for nearly three weeks of shows in Dallas and Fort Worth. The circus won't be in Cowtown until Aug. 11, but you can greet the Greatest Show on Earth when it arrives in Dallas on Tuesday. There'll be a block party complete with clowns and a lumbering line of elephants that will celebrate their arrival by devouring an enormous pile of fruits and veggies. (Not the clowns -- just the elephants.)
7 p.m. Tuesday at AT&T Plaza, south of American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., Dal las. Free. www.ringling.com.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/07/22/2354097/welcome-the-circus-as-it-lumbers.html#tvg#ixzz0uVMiQS6Z

C H S CONVENTION...

Twin Cities' big top ties lure circus convention

By Michele Steinbacher msteinbacher@pantagraph.com July 22, 2010

NORMAL — The Circus Historical Society choosing Bloomington for its annual convention this week doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows circus.
The city was a training ground for trapeze acts in the heyday of circus, and Normal is home to ISU’s Gamma Phi Circus, the nation’s oldest collegiate circus.
“It’s a unique segment of Bloomington’s local history, and it’s a part of popular culture often ignored,” said Steve Gossard, curator of circus collections at Illinois State University’s Milner Library, and a member of the society’s board of directors.
He said nearly 100 people are expected for the convention that opened Wednesday and continues through Saturday.
Places like Baraboo, Wis., Peru, Ind., and Sarasota, Fla., are standouts to circus fans. As is Central Illinois. “This is a pretty big city on the circus map. Bloomington is kind of unique. It’s not that a lot of circuses came out of here, but a lot of performers sure did,” said Fred Pfening, editor of the society’s journal, Bandwagon Magazine.
“The two biggest names that come to mind are Eddie Ward and Arthur Concello. They were the grandfather and the father of most flying trapeze acts in the United States up to the mid ’50s. Everyone was a protégé, and they trained here in the winters,” he said.Beginning in the 1870s and for more than a hundred years, this area produced hundreds of circus performers. By the turn of the century, two of the most famous trapeze troupes — The Flying LeVans and the Flying Fishers — hailed from Bloomington.
In the years that followed, Ward’s training barn became legendary, producing many spin-off acts from his Ward Flyers.
Pfening, a historian from Columbus, Ohio, grew up in the world of the big top — his father owned a circus. He said attending the annual convention is a time to see old, but not ordinary, friends.
“There’s one guy whose specialty is elephants. And another who is researching the ‘specs,’” said Pfening. Specs, or spectaculars, were huge production numbers popular in the circuses of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This convention’s focus on flying trapeze will come to life with the appearance of some of the most famous flyers, many recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for their feats, said Gossard.
They include Miguel and Juan Vazquez, owners of the quadruple somersault; Tony Steele, the first to complete 3 ½ back somersaults to a leg’s catch, who has also performed at the Gamma Phi Circus; Terry Cavaretta, one of the world’s most famous female flyers; and Richie Ganoa, a movie stuntman whose family is among modern innovators of the sport.
Also on hand this week will be filmmaker Philip Weyland. He and his crew are collecting interview footage for the documentary “The Last Great Flyer,” a film about the Vazquez brothers.
Big Top studies
The Circus Historical Society celebrates the art of the flying trapeze this week in Bloomington during its annual convention. Here are some details:Big Top studies
The Circus Historical Society celebrates the art of the flying trapeze this week in Bloomington during its annual convention. Here are some details:
-- “A Passion for Circus,” Illinois State University’s Milner Library opens its Circus and Allied Arts Collection with a public event 2-5 p.m. today. For information, call 309-438-3527.*
-- Flying trapeze workshop: Some of the world’s most famous living trapeze legends lead a Saturday workshop for convention attendees, at ISU’s Gregory Street fields.
-- Panels will focus on everything from the history of animal welfare in circuses to the extreme athleticism of circus performers. A few offer a local twist:
-- Walter and Dorita Estes share tales of circus life. Dorita Estes and her sister, Ronna Sutton, grew up in Bloomington, training here. Their parents were China and Dorthy Durbin, one of Arthur Concello’s flying acts of the Ringling Bros. Circus in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
-- Cherie Valentine talks about the Valentine Trapeze Acts of Bloomington. George Washington Valentine and Lillian Richards raised four sons here who became flying trapeze performers: Cherie Valentine’s father, George Dewey Valentine, led the famous Flying Valentinos.
-- To learn more about the society visit www.circushistory.org
* Most events are only for those who have registered for the convention. However, the Milner event is free and open to the public.