Sweet fun at Cloverdale's Citrus Fair

CRISTA JEREMIASON / The Press Democrat Lyndy Smith, 11, left, Jalynn Smith, 8, and Ellene Vasquez, 9, of Cloverdale ride the Super Slide during the Cloverdale Citrus Fair on Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011.

By SAM SCOTT,THE PRESS DEMOCRAT, Santa Rosa, CA

Sunday, February 20, 2011
At the Cloverdale Citrus Fair, victory tastes all the sweeter for just how hard it is to attain.
The Cloverdale Lion's Club took first in the fair’s much sought-after citrus exhibit contest for creating a Mel’s Drive-in, complete with a carhop in roller skates, a top-chopped Chevy pickup and, of course, 1,041 oranges, 63 lemons and 89 limes. It probably took 1,000 man-hours to complete, organizers said.
“It’s a thrill to hear you’ve won,” said Lion’s member George “Tex” Dickens, who said design on the project began back in October. “It’s very competitive.”
There are plenty of other attractions at the 119th annual Citrus Fair, which started Friday and continues through Monday with free admission for children 12 and under. Like most fairs, the schedule includes dogs shows, live stocks contests and plenty of rides.
For many locals, however, the biggest draw is each other. As of Saturday, the event had brought in about 7,000 guests, on pace to reach the 15,000 attendees that organizers said they expected by Monday’s conclusion.
That’s just a fraction of the turnout bigger events, such as the Sonoma County Fair, attract, but the Citrus Fair’s size adds to its coziness. Dickens, for one, had a hard time walking five feet without hearing his name called, a consequence of having been to every fair since 1960.
But Doris Michalek can beat that streak. The Geyserville resident has been attending for 54 straight years. She once bought her own children, now she has great-grandchildren who go.
On Sunday, Michalek, daughter-in-law Linda Amann and granddaughter Charity Koch were all dressed up in poodle-skirts ready for the sock hop.
“We going to the dance, we’ve got to find dates,” joked Amann, sporting a pink pair of Peggy Sue glasses, apt for the fair’s “Rockin’ with the 50s” theme.
Despite the other attractions, the fair’s citrus exhibits remain the most unique aspect of the fair and the most curious considering Cloverdale is an area better known for vineyards than orange orchards.
Back in the late 19th century, however, Cloverdale seemed on the verge of a bright future as the Orange Belt of Sonoma County, which the fair was designed to promote.
A couple of killer frosts squelched that dream, although not the Citrus Fair or the drive to make the best citric exhibit possible
The Lion’s Club may have taken top honors this year, but plenty of people were impressed by effort of the Kiwanis Club of Cloverdale, which used 1,650 oranges, 100 limes and a range of food, including black beans, bread sticks and licorice, for an exhibit featuring a Baldwin junior grand piano and a giant Gibson guitar.
“It’s got more oranges, and I think it’s very creative,” said Clay Skelton, a retired builder and photographer who would have given first place to the Kiwanis.
read more at:http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110220/NEWS/110229974?Title=Sweet-fun-at-Cloverdale-s-Citrus-Fair

ROLLER BROS. CIRCUS (FROM BILL PRICKETT)

I met Jim Roller April 24, 1994, when Great American Circus showed in nearby Pekin, Il, my hometown. My wife and I also took our houseand visited the show again on 5-07-94 in Iowa City, and 5-08-94 in Muscatine, Iowa. (Photos of GA will follow at later date.) In 1995, I visited the Library at Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI, and obtainted copies of old program, booklet, and posters, shown in black andwhite. The photos in color taken by Bill Prickett, except photo of Hoxie Tucker.
DONT FORGET: CLICK ON EACH PICTURE TO ENLARGE & READ!

Jim Roller and Hoxie Tucker

Jim Roller, manager and Errol Maguire, office manager,

Great American Circus, Iowa City, Iowa

WILL IT EVER STOP?

Deanna S. Devaul: Circus elephants should be a thing of the past
Deanna S. Devaul, Madison, Wisconsin

www.madison.com

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Elephants in circuses suffer tremendously, not only physically, but emotionally.
Being whipped, chained and shocked are techniques that may be used to force elephants into performing unnatural acts such as standing on top of a rolling ball. Elephants do not perform because they want to, but because they are afraid not to.
Repetitive movements such as rocking, swaying and head-bobbing are signs of psychological distress which someone unfamiliar with elephant behavior may not recognize. Wild animals can develop a syndrome known as "circus madness," in which elephants may pose a danger of trampling if they escape, as has happened in the past.
Elephants in circuses belong in the past. Let's move forward in a more civilized, advanced society. Realize that cruelty is not entertainment and exercise a moral conscience by not attending circuses with elephants.

Does it measure up?

City eyes state, size of coliseum

Stephen Spillman / Amarillo Globe-News - Cal Farley Coliseum is prepared for Circus Gatti at the Civic Center. Some shows, such as "Star Wars: In Concert" and "Walking With Dinosaurs," are too big for the coliseum space.
February 20, 2011By KAREN SMITH WELCH Amarillo's leaders didn't envision dinosaurs roaming the coliseum when they launched construction of the Amarillo Civic Center in the late 1960s.
Forty-three years later, the place itself is something of a dinosaur, too small to squeeze in animatronic T-rexes.
Inside the cramped confines of Cal Farley Coliseum, the height from the floor to structural rigging steel at the ceiling is 38 feet, or slightly more than half as tall as the giant video screen at Cowboys Stadium.
That wasn't high enough to accommodate the $20 million "Walking With Dinosaurs" arena show, Civic Center Manager Sherman Bass said. He'd hoped to bring to Amarillo the spectacle based on the award-winning BBC series. It features life-sized versions of 20 prehistoric beasts, which require plenty of head room to strut their stuff on arena floors.
The inability to house the landmark show is one example of the cost of the coliseum's considerable limits, officials said.
read more at:http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2011-02-20/does-it-measure

PETA Protests Royal Hanneford Circus at County

Animal-rights activists came armed with signs to warn circus-goers of what they say are animal abuses.

By T.J. Raphael, February 19, 2011
The Royal Hanneford Circus came to White Plains Saturday, complete with horses, elephants and animal rights protesters. The small group of protesters carried signs and handed out literature about the mistreatment of circus animals to people entering the Westchester County Center to see the performance.
“We’d like to say bring the circus, leave the animals,” said Louise Simmons of Harrison, a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals'. “We have nothing against circuses per say, what we’re against is the use of wild and exotic animals.”
PETA details several specific abuse claims against Hanneford and says the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has "cited Royal Hanneford numerous times for failure to provide veterinary care and meet minimum space requirements."read
One PETA advocate said wild animals like tigers, bears and elephants can pose a danger to viewers and trainers, using as an example Roy Horn, of Siegfried and Roy, who was attacked in 2004 by his long-time pet tiger that performed with him.
The group also says circus trainers abuse the animals to get them to learn tricks.
“If their kids could see what went on behind the scenes at the circus they would have to be dragged kicking and screaming [to go] under the big top,” said Ashley Byrne, a senior campaign coordinator for PETA. “Animals are abused in ways like having bull hooks into the flesh of elephants, baby elephants are torn from their mothers at birth and the mothers are forced to give birth in chains.”
The Royal Hanneford Circus could not be reached for comment. A representative of the Westchester County Center viewing the protest declined to comment.
read more at:http://harrison.patch.com/articles/peta-protests-white-plains-circus-2#c

Bradenton circus family aims to be 'awesome' at state fair

Folks gather at the Giraffic Menagerie at the state fair in Tampa to feed 12-year-old Twiggs the giraffe a carrot or two Thursday Sarah Whitman, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Somewhere past the midway games among dozens of trailers, two camels rest while a bejeweled circus performer cleans up their droppings.
Unconcerned with smudging her bright red lipstick, Lletsira Coronas bites off the end of a carrot, spits it out and feeds the rest to the animals.
A few corn dog and funnel cake booths away, a giraffe named Twiggs stretches his gray tongue as far it can go. He aims for a treat in a little girl's hand. Gawking kids stand nearby and squeal with delight.
"It's a giraffe at the fair," onlooker Mark Staib said. "That's pretty awesome."
Lletsira Coronas works with a horse during a circus performance on Tuesday afternoon with Circus Hollywood, that includes several different kinds of animals.
"Awesome" is the reaction the Coronas family of Bradenton seeks year after year when it brings a circus and a zoo to the Florida State Fair, which runs through Monday.
The family's Circus Hollywood and Giraffic Menagerie features more than 100 animals ranging from camels to kangaroos. Some of the animals perform tricks. Others, like 12-year-old Twiggs, spend their days interacting with fairgoers from behind red metal bars.
Animal rights groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals call it a horror story. Husband and wife Serge and Stevie Coronas call it life.
The Coronas' grandparents were in the business. Now their adult children, Serge Jr., Nicole and Crystal, help run Circus Hollywood.
They handle Agriculture Department citations for things such as damaged animal enclosures by "correcting the problem," Stevie Coronas said. Records show no reports of abuse.
"These are beautiful animals, and they are well cared for," Coronas said. "We have nothing to hide."
read more at:http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/bradenton-circus-family-aims-to-be-awesome-at-state-fair/1152743

Girl joins circus after she's cured of claustrophobia by being put in bin

Kirsty Nicholson suffered from severe claustrophobia was cured after her mum put her in the bin.

Kirsty Nicholson bagged her dream job as a contortionist in the circus after she was cured of her claustrophobia by her mum, who placed her in bins to get her over her fear of small spaces.
..Nicholson’s mother came up with the drastic solution to cure her daughter so she could join the circus as a singer and contortionist.
‘I’ve always been really flexible but petrified of small spaces so, when I was told I had to be the girl in a bottle to be part of the show, I didn’t think I could do it,’ said the 23-year-old.

Kirsty Nicholson finds herself in a tight spot while trying to scare her mum (Picture: ADAM HARNET / CATERS NEWS)

‘Then my mum came up with the idea of practising at home and started forcing me into washing baskets and bins. The more I did it, the easier it became.’.Sadly, mother Alison’s hard work appears to have backfired, with her daughter using her new skills to play pranks on her. ‘I’d get into the washing machine, under the kitchen sink and things like that. My mum woke up one morning and found me in the bin next to her. ‘And my sister would go to get a pair of shoes from her wardrobe and find me shoved in there,’ said Miss Nicholson from Stockton-on-Tees, near Middlesbrough.‘They used to think it was really odd but now they just laugh it off.’.So now she fits quite nicely into a 60cm (24in) by 45cm (18in) glass jar for her Circus of Horrors show – after she had her appendix removed.
‘I’m the biggest wimp on the planet so it was really scary for me but it was a small price to pay,’ she said.

The family dog looks on with surprise as Kirsty Nicholson squeezes into its basket
‘Ever since I was six years old and started learning how to dance, all I’ve wanted to do was join the show. Now I have, it’s amazing.’

Sprung: Contortionist Kirsty Nicholson is found under the bed (Picture: HARNET / CATERS NEWS)

Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/855882-girl-joins-circus-after-shes-cured-of-claustrophobia-by-being-put-in-bin#ixzz1EPH2AUmt

Lamb Chop to bring smiles to Pasco County Fair

Mallory Lewis says the sock puppet Lamb Chop was her "only sibling'' while growing up.

By WALT BELCHER The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 18, 2011 02/18/2011
Pasco County Fair Lamb Chop jokes and riddles
TAMPA - Mallory Lewis grew up with a funny little pal named Lamb Chop, a sock puppet that became a TV star.
"She was my only sibling," says the daughter of entertainer Shari Lewis. "When I was very young my mother used to put on Lamb Chop at bedtime. I could tell my little sister anything and not get in to trouble.
"Of course, that didn't work so well when I got to be a teenager and tried 'Lamb Chop, I wrecked the car today,' " she jokes.
Although Shari Lewis died in 1998, Lamb Chop and her sidekicks Hush Puppy and Charlie Horse are still entertaining thanks to Mallory, a writer and TV producer who is carrying on her mother's legacy.
"I'm a lot like my mother, I inherited her tush and her voice," Lewis said in a recent telephone interview. She also has her mother's sense of humor.
Mallory Lewis is bringing Lamb Chop to the Pasco County Fair in Dade City which opens Monday and runs through Feb. 27. They will be performing Monday through Saturday at the fair's Back Porch Theater.
"I love to do county fairs because it's an intimate setting with children and adults and that's a perfect venue for Lamb Chop," says Lewis, 47 (formerly Mallory Tarcher). She also tours with the USO and performs for charities.
"Young children are immediately attracted to Lamb Chop and adults who remember my mother begin to recall their inner child and it reminds them of a more innocent time in their lives," she says.
Shari Lewis was a teenager when she first rose to fame on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" in 1952. "Mom was known as ventriloquist but she could sing, dance, juggle and do magic and a lot more – and she was very attractive," says Mallory.
In the 1950s, Shari Lewis worked on numerous New York-based children's shows where she had various puppets. But it wasn't until a guest appearance on "Captain Kangaroo" in 1956 that she introduced Lamb Chop.
In the 1960s, she appeared on numerous TV variety shows and even had her own prime-time series. She also appeared on Broadway and played Las Vegas casinos. "Lamb Chop could do grown-up humor, too," says Mallory (and still does in Mallory's comedy club act).
In the 1990s, Mallory worked closely with her mother as producer of the PBS TV show "Lamb Chop's Play-Along" which ran five years and "Charlie Horse Music Pizza" show. Her mother was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 1998 and died a year later at age 65.
Mallory, who has written more than 20 children's books, says she decided to keep her mother's creation Lamb Chop going because the character brought joy to people.
"My mother always said that we don't aim the humor at children but at the child inside all of us," says Mallory.
Lamb Chop and Mallory will be grand marshals at the Pasco County Fair Parade at 1 p.m. Monday in downtown Dade City. Their performances at the Fair's Back Porch Theater are at 5, 7 and 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and at 2:30, 5:45 and 8:15 p.m. on Saturday. (There will be no Sunday performance).
For more information go to www.pascocountyfair.com

Rescued Bolivian circus lions arrive in U.S

By Keith Coffman, Reuters

February 18, 2011

Twenty-five circus lions arrived in the U.S. in good health thursday, en route to a Colorado wildlife refuge.Photograph by: Rick Wilking, Reuters, ReutersTwenty-five Bolivian circus lions rescued from poor conditions arrived safely in the U.S., bound for a Colorado wildlife refuge.
Dubbed Operation Lion Ark, the 14 males and 11 female cats arrived at Denver International Airport on Wednesday on a jet chartered by Animal Defenders International, a British-American venture that advocates circus-animal rights.
"This has been a dream for so long, to empty a whole country of its circus animals," ADI president Jan Creamer told a crowd of about 100 who assembled at a United Airlines hangar to watch the event.
Former game show host Bob Barker, a longtime animal-rights activist who funded the relocation, was on hand to welcome the cats alongside actress Jorja Fox of TV's CSI franchise. Workers unloaded the animals in individual crates amid applause from animalrights advocates in attendance.
Veterinarian Mel Richardson, who accompanied the animals on the 11hour flight from Bolivia, pronounced them in relatively good health ahead of their move to The Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colo. The sanctuary is constructing a biosphere on the 32-hectare site so the lions can weather the cold winters. Their longterm care will be paid for by ADI.
The cats were taken from eight circuses after Bolivia passed a law in 2009 outlawing use of animals in circuses. Many were found emaciated and in poor health, and the animals underwent rehabilitation in Bolivia before the trip.
After passing the law, Bolivian government officials gave circus owners one year to cease using animals, even domesticated ones, in their acts or face criminal penalties. ADI rounded up the animals from the circuses, effectively shutting down the industry in South America's poorest nation.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald
Read more: http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Rescued+Bolivian+circus+lions+arrive/4309012/story.html#ixzz1EPCsl4vu

Circus entertains, raises money for Palmview Crime Stoppers

PALMVIEW, TX - 18 FEB 11 The performing tiger listen to commands during the show at Kelly Miller Circus in Palmview Friday afternoon February 18, 2011.

photo by joel martinez/jmartinez@themonitor.com

February 18, 2011
from:http:themonitor.comGail Burkhardt
Tigers leapt, dogs danced, acrobats flipped and elephants performed while children and adults alike clapped and laughed under the big top Friday night at the Kelly Miller Circus in Palmview.
The Oklahoma-based circus started its 2011 tour of 215 cities in Brownsville last week, and shows will continue in Palmview through Sunday. This year the show includes a new dog act in which the canines dance on two legs and jump through the air, a Western-themed show that includes acrobats and an 83-year-old cowboy, an entire family of acrobats from Argentina and new elephant and tiger routines.
“They were hopping and one jumped over the other,” said 5-year-old Palmview resident, Noah Ezzee Rojas enthusiastically as he mimicked the tigers’ jumping act.
His mother, Maricela Rojas, said her son was so into the show that he would not even look at her when she talked to him during the act.
Even ringmaster John Moss, who has been in the business since 1986, still enjoys the shows.
“I get a front row seat at the circus,” he said, explaining why he continues to work in the field.
In all, the show features 35 human performers, three elephants, seven ponies, seven tigers and 10 dogs, said Jim Royal, the general manager.
Animal advocate Diana Ho said the non-human performers should not be in the show because they are treated inhumanely. She and fellow animal advocate Cristina Cruz stood at the entrance to the parking lot holding up signs and passing out literature asking people to boycott circuses with animal performers.
Ho said circus trainers use violent methods to train animals. She also said that the small cages the animals travel in, as well as the tricks they perform, are unsafe and unhealthy.
Royal said the Kelly Miller Circus does not use violent means and has not received any citations for animal mistreatment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture since the new owners took over the circus in 2007. He also said the animals are domesticated and are accustomed to the travel.
Ho and many other animal rights activists are planning a larger protest when the Ringling Bros. Circus comes to Hidalgo in May, she said.
The Kelly Miller Circus is an annual fundraiser for the Palmview Crime Stoppers, an organization that accepts anonymous tips to solve crimes. Crime Stoppers receives 15 percent of all of the profits. As of Friday at 6:30 p.m., about 850 people already had purchased tickets to the shows.
Crime Stoppers typically raises between $2,000 and $3,000 each year through the circus, said Lt. Lenny Sanchez, an assistant coordinator for the group.

A human cannonball? Yes, at the circus this weekend.

“Human Cannonball” Shawn Marren in his cannon outside the Westchester County Center in White Plains. (Xavier Mascareñas/The Journal Newsari/Th)

By Karen Croke • kcroke1@lohud.com •

February 19, 2011
What's tougher? Being the father of rambunctious 1-year-old twins, or being shot out of a cannon?
If you said the latter, well, you're not Shawn Marren. The 26-year-old "Human Cannonball" says that hurtling through space at 70 miles per hour is kids' play compared to the responsibilities of being a dad."I told my wife, when she was eight months pregnant and shooting me out the cannon, that it wasn't even scary compared to having kids," Marren says.His sons were born prematurely and spent some anxious days in the hospital. "People don't even realize how dangerous being shot out of the cannon is, but at least, there you are in charge. With the cannon, it's on my shoulders. With the kids, you can't do anything."Today, the twins, Shawn and Anthony, are happy, healthy and sporting matching superhero costumes to watch their dad get shot out of the cannon at this weekend's Royal Hanneford Circus at the Westchester County Center. This is Marren's first job as a headliner and he is debuting his act in White Plains."It's so exciting," he says, even as he admits he sometimes gets the feeling, when flying by his rapt audiences, that "half the people watch and go, 'Oh my God, I hope he misses.' "For all his bravado, Marren is not a born daredevil."My mother came to see my first shot and she was distressed," he says. "All she said was, 'how did I raise a cannon ball?' "Marren began his circus career in the same way many before him have — he was intrigued by the notion of ditching his responsibilities for a more carefree existence, and a life on the road.While studying trumpet at the University of South Florida in Tampa, he met the director of the Ringling Brothers Circus band."He had all these stories, and I just thought, none of that can be true," says Marren. So when Ringling was looking for a keyboard player, Marren, who was then a junior at USF, jumped at the chance to try out, although technically, he'd never played keyboards."But I convinced them that I could," and soon after, he quit school and ran off with the circus. "We'd do three shows a day, three days in a row. The music is the same for each act, but you're dealing with animals and technical difficulties, so no two days were the same".read more at:http://www.lohud.com/article/20110219/ENTERTAINMENT/102190304/A-human-cannonball-Yes-at-the-circus-this-weekend-

Battling odds, Indian circus owners try to keep show going

Press Trust Of India

Pune, February 19, 2011
With lions and tigers out of the ring, circus owners in India are not a happy lot as they struggle to survive with their band of artistes in the world of entertainment. The ban on displaying the wild animals---lions and tigers---as well as bears and monkeys, coupled with the curbs on recruiting chil d artistes who later grow into mature performers supporting the industry, appears to be having a sapping effect on this age old mix of fun and thrill that used to enthrall children before the advent of the small screen.
"Today we badly need the support from government and corporate sponsors to keep this age old art of circus in India alive. In the absence of conducive atmosphere for survival and necessary amenities this business continues to be in the red," said Sujit Dilip, owner of the two decade old " Rambo" circus who is also member of Indian Circus Federation and European Circus Association (ECA).
Dilip, who just returned after making a presentation on Indian circuses at the 35th International Circus Festival organised by the ECA at Montel Carlo in Monaco held in the last week of January, told PTI here that while the owners of circuses in India need to incorporate creative and innovative elements in the arena of the world circus, the industry here was suffering from a host of problems that could spell its doom if not addressed properly.
"The decade-long ban on lions and tigers in circus has dealt a body blow to the industry as despite our best efforts to enhance the content of human acrobatics to make for the absence of wild animals, the entertainment vacuum remains," he added.

All aboard for FunHouse attraction

EnterTRAINment Junction revamps its 7,000-square-foot maze area

into circus-themed attractions.

Staff photo by Greg Lynch

Brian Kienlen, who works with the sound, lighting and special effects at EnterTRAINment Junction, works in the A-Maze-N Funhouse scheduled to open in March.
By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer Thursday, February 17, 2011

WEST CHESTER TWP. — Starting next month, EnterTRAINment Junction will transform into a circus.
On March 1, the train-centric attraction in West Chester Twp. plans to open the “A-Maze-N FunHouse,” replete with all kinds of circus-style attractions.
EnterTRAINment Junction is not adding to its existing facility at 7379 Squire Court, but has a new theme for its maze attractions to the left of the main entrance, said Bill Mefford, the publicist for the center.
“We add stuff (to our train displays) every day, but this is our first major expansion since 2008, when we opened,” he said.
Up to now, the 7,000 square feet of space in question was the home to two mazes that changed by season. They are being revamped into what EnterTRAINment Junction calls “the greatest funhouse on Earth.”
At the entrance, the bright colors, flashing lights and circus staples such as a coin-operated Zoltar fortune-telling machine, create atmosphere.

Past the entrance, there will be four tents: Curtain Chaos, Clown College, Mirror Maze and Outer Limits: Journey to the Black Hole.
The Mirror Maze is 2.5 times larger than the similar maze the junction had when it opened. Similarly, Curtain Chaos will have hanging curtains throughout its maze, and this also is larger than a similar maze that was in place at the junction’s opening.
Clown College has rooms filled with practical jokes and optical illusions, such as an Ames Rooms, in which people seem to grow or shrink just by walking across the room.
In the Outer Limits room, visitors head into a spinning vortex, through which they escape via a “claustrophobia room.”
These attractions replace the Victorian Village walk-through. The Journey to the North Pole Christmas maze will still figure in the holiday season, Mefford said.
For the month of March, admission to the funhouse attractions will be $4.95. After that, regular admission will be $9.95.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus IS "Fully Charged!"

February 16th, 2011

Do you like this Review?
The weather is supposed to be mild this weekend - no snow in sight which means clear roads. With the holiday weekend upon us why not take the kids to the circus?

I had the pleasure of attending opening night of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents “Fully Charged” circus on Wednesday, February 16, and what a thrill-ride it was. Clowns were entertaining, acrobats were mesmorizing, and the animals were trotting around delighting fans of all ages.
“Fully-Charged” is the all-new Ringling Bros.® show featuring the "Human Fuse" who sets himself on fire and soars across the arena sky.

In addition, The Greatest Show On Earth® also boasts Dmitry and Ruslan, the Ukrainian Strong Men pair, whose incredible feats of strength and endurance include lifting and balancing each other’s 300-plus pound frames. Without giving away their feat, it was worth the price of admission by itself!
The three-rings keep your eyes glued to the colorful costumes, the in-sync juggling and dancing, and the tight-rope walkers never waver.
In town at the Wells Fargo center through Sunday, February 20th, there are both day and evening shows and ticket options for every budget. Access http://www.wellsfargocenterphilly.com/events.aspx for tickets, prices and times.

FROM MODERN MECHANIX 1930'S

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE & READ!

It's clown time in El Cajon. No, seriously.

By Steve Schmidt
Wednesday, February 16
Circus Vargas, one of those old-timey traveling road shows with trapeze artists, clowns and the like, will pitch its big tent in El Cajon for a five-day stint starting March 3.
The circus plans 10 performances at the Westfield Parkway shopping center, including three shows on each Saturday and Sunday during the run. Seats run from $15 to $50. More information is available here.
The East County stop is part of a regional tour that will also take the circus to National City, Del Mar and other local cities. The California-based business does not use animals in its acts.