STEVE KEELER VISITS RINGLING'S FULLY CHARGED

Like I've always said "FLASH IS CASH"!"

County fair fun, educational

March 28, 2011 from yumasun.com

BY JONI BROOKS - PUBLISHER County fairs bring back great memories. I was involved in 4-H and my children were also active participants, showing cattle, horses and even their dogs for many years. It was hard work with valuable lessons learned. There was high anticipation for fair week, with hopes for winning trophies and ribbons, getting fantastic bids at the auctions, frequenting the midway rides, catching up with old friends and, of course, gorging on all the favorite fair foods! The fair is a tradition that demonstrates the strength of family values, simpler times and plain old-fashioned fun more than any other event I know. The Yuma County Fair runs Tuesday through Sunday; there's a wide variety of livestock shows, entertainment, food and fun available. Don't miss it! http://www.yumafair.com/

CAN ANYONE OUT THERE HELP THIS LADY?

Dear Mr. Dykes, My name is Sarah Baraba - I write for ObituaryChicago.com, a news service affiliated with the Chicago Sun-Times. I am writing an obituary about Lloyd Fengel, who was a Midwestern circus musician, located in Illinois. I am contacting you because Mr. Fengel was a member of the Byrd Family Tent (as well as the Charlie Smith Tent #131 and Gollmar-Moeller-Ringling Tent #100), who you authored a blog post about. I am trying to reach anyone who was familiar with Mr. Fengel and could talk to me about his involvement in circus music and the community. Mr. Fengel also played with the Kelly Miller Circus Band, Mills Brothers, and Carson & Barnes bands over the years. Do you have any contact information for members of any of these tents or bands? Any help is greatly appreciated. You can reach me at (314) 221-2173 or sarahbaraba@gmail.com. Thanks in advance for your time and help, I really appreciate it. Sincerely, Sarah Barabawww.ObituaryChicago.com(314) 221-2173sarahbaraba@gmail.com

Shriners Celebrate 60 Years of Circus

Elephants wandering around downtown Billings isn't a common sight, but for 5 days, they'll be calling the Magic City home.

Review: Circo (2010)

By Edward Champion, March 29, 2011 When it came to the circus, even the great Federico Fellini could not resist the personal myth. Fellini’s 1970 quasi-documentary, The Clowns, opened with the young director (portrayed by a child actor) watching workers hoisting a circus tent outside his bedroom window, with each series of grunts producing another incremental rise of the top in the magical night. Ambrose Bierce may have defined circus as the “place where horses, ponies, and elephants are permitted to see men, women, and children acting the fool.” But name another venue where professional fools – especially those who act before more human animals – cause a cinematic genius to reimagine the beginnings of his own allure. The modern circus has endured quite well after Philip Astley. Assuming that you haven’t handed over all four of your ventricles to the great capitalist sham, it remains difficult for any vaguely mischievous soul to countervail the circus’s great charms. Aaron Schock has largely resisted Fellini’s understandable tendency to reinvent with his striking and quite magical documentary, Circo. The movie depicts a vibrant second-string circus in Mexico – one that has been in some form of existence since the 19th century, but which lacks the resources in the 21st to play the big cities. Nevertheless, you will find motorcycles rolling in the “globe of death” and performers giving it their all as a recording of Alan Silvestri’s Back to the Future theme plays over dim makeshift speakers.read more at: http://www.edrants.com/review-circo-2010/

Brevard County fair opens Thursday

Mar. 26, 2011

Written byFOR FLORIDA TODAY

Brevard County Fair opens Thursday and runs through April 10 in the Wickham Park Pavilion area, south of Brevard Community College's Melbourne campus. There will be blue ribbon contests, educational exhibits and demonstrations, 4-H animal shows, local bands entertaining and carnival rides.Special events include a rodeo, car show, a dog agility competition, a poultry auction and a horse expo.

Hours will be 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Fair tickets will be available at the gate.Admission is $10 per person Monday through Thursday; $12 per person on Friday and Saturday.Admission includes unlimited midway rides.Parking will be free.

For information, visit brevardcountyfair.com or call 321-633-1702.

County fair rises again in Pinellas Park

Lights from the Yoyo glow against the cloudy sky Monday, as workers assemble rides days before the opening this week of the Pinellas County Fair at Town Square Plaza Park, 49th Street at 81st Avenue N, in Pinellas Park. It’s the first county fair since 2001.

By Anne Lindberg, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Wednesday, March 30, 2011

PINELLAS PARK, FL--Ned Toth was all set to attend law school when he decided that wasn't for him. So he ran away and joined the circus. Now, Toth, 65, is bringing the Pinellas County Fair back after a 10-year absence.

Rina Newman, 32, works to set up her stand Monday for sales of fair treats, including popcorn, cotton candy and candy apples. The four-day event will open at 5 p.m. Thursday and run through Sunday in Town Square Plaza Park, the space immediately north of the Pinellas Park City Hall, 5141 78th Ave. N. While there won't be any sheep, goats or cows — as is traditional with fairs — there will be a petting zoo and Elmo's Teeny Weeny Circus, with dogs and ponies. There will also be carnival rides, including a Ferris wheel with $100,000 worth of new LED lighting. "It'll light up the whole city of Pinellas Park," Toth said. Toth, a Sarasota resident, comes from a family with strong circus ties. An uncle was a manager with the Ringling Bros. circus, who later bought the Clyde Beatty Circus. read more at:http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/county-fair-rises-again-in-pinellas-park/1160421

Circus bringing Big Top to area

Staff Reporter•The Tinidad Times

March 29, 2011 RATON, CO — The year was 1935, and many people lined up to buy tickets to see their first circus. The smell of popcorn and cotton candy filled the air. In the 75 years since then, the Carson and Barnes Circus has continued to roll out its city-block-long tent in some 200 towns and cities each year during its 10-month season.

The nearly 100 animals and performers of all sorts are coming to Raton this weekend. The Oklahoma-based circus features acts from around the world, a European style big top and theatrical lighting and music. It will be held Sunday, April 3, at the Raton Rodeo Grounds on York Canyon Road (N.M. 555).

Show times are 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

When the circus sets up on the morning of the shows, the public is invited to watch as the first units of the caravan begin arriving about an hour after dawn. People, elephants and technology work side-by-side to erect the big top.

The Carson and Barnes Circus has two dozen types of exotic and domestic animals, featuring a large traveling zoo.

The performers are artists from around the world, including the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Russia and Italy. Acts consist of aerial trapeze, high wire, motorcycle acrobatic teams, jugglers and clowns, along with performing elephants, camels, dogs and horses. Special this year is an award-winning clown Alex, called the “King of Comedy,” who will perform high-bounding feats on the trampoline.

The Kiwanis Club brings the circus to Raton as a fundraiser to support local youth programs. The circus is also supported by local sponsors International Bank in Raton, KRTN and The Medicine Shoppe.

Tickets are available at all branches of International Bank, the Shuler Theater, The Medicine Shoppe and from Kiwanis members.

Ticket prices range from “Super Savers,” which must be purchased in advance for $25 and will admit two adults and three children, to children and adult single tickets for $10. Single ticket advance sales are buy one, get one free. In addition, anyone 75 or older will receive a free ticket with the purchase of a child’s ticket.

FROM HAL GUYON

Attached is the ad for Lewis & Clark Circus that was in The Newberry Observer Newspaper this past weekend. Other South Carolina Dates for this show are listed below curtisy of Harold McFeely. If any of you haven`t seen this circus it`s a really nice small show owned by South Carolina`s own Bob Chlidress out of Easley SC. Bob is a wonderful person and fans are always welcome on his lot. March 28 -29 Newberry, SC " 30 Johnson, SC " 31 Santee, SC " April 1 Lake City, SC " 2 - 3 Sumter, SC " 4 Marion, SC " 5 Laurinburg, NC " 6 Kershaw, SC "

7 - 8 Lancaster, SC " 9 Monroe, NC

Also, Cole Bros will be in Florence, SC this Wed & Thurs March 30 - 31, Charleston (Ladson) SC April 1 -3, Myrtle Beach, SC April 4 - 6. Hal Guyon

GEORGE CARDEN CIRCUS WINTERQUARTERS 1994, FROM BILL PRICKETT

On April 14, 1994, my wife and I visited the georgous winter quarters of GEORGE CARDEN CIRCUS, outside of Springfield, Mo. The show was on the road, but Mike Fallin, Albert "Shorty" Sharp, and Regina Bowen, showed us around and allowed me to take photos. This is the most beautiful winter quarters I have ever seen, and a real credit to the circus industry.

Photos by Bill Prickett #1 Sign at main entrance #2. Left side of entrance road #3. Fence around grounds #4. Old office and wardrobe dept. #5. Truck #135 6. Truck barn and storage yard 7. Equipment parked in yard

GEORGE CARDEN CIRCUS WINTERQUARTERS 1994 PART 2

1. Bunk house and double wide trailer...Joe Frisco 2. Albert "Shorty" Sharp 3. Mike Fallin and Regina Bowen #4. New Office Bldg. 5. Regina Bowen, Office Ass't. Photos by Bill Prickett

CIRCUS SPECTACULAR

Lions, tigers and elephants in Diddle, oh my

elephants

Ryan Stone

Elephants perform during the last act of Friday's circus at Diddle Arena. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus came to WKU for a three-day run. The show featured multiple animals, including lions and elephants.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Zirconia Alleyne, College Heights Herald

Just a short walk away from Downing University Center, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey brought lions, tigers and elephants to Diddle Arena this weekend. Children and adults of all ages oohed and ahhed from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon during the two-hour performances, and several WKU students walked out of the arena feeling like kids again. Along with the animals, the show included clowns, acrobats, motorcycle stunts and trapeze acts.

trapeze A trapeze artist spins in mid-air, high above the circus ring during Friday's performance. The show featured multiple high altitude trapeze acts.

Courtney Marx, a freshman from Cooper City, Fla., said it was her first time going to the circus. "It completely exceeded my expectations," she said. "I was jumping and screaming." Marx went with Independence sophomore Jordan Vorst, who said he didn't really know what to expect either since he hadn't been to the circus since he was 7. A friend told them they had to see the show, especially the motorcyclists who performed inside a cage. The acrobats were a big hit for Vorst. "A lot of it just blew my mind," he said. "My mouth was wide open the whole time." The behind-the-scenes action was just as mind boggling as the show for friends Steven Poland and Kevin Preston. Before the show, the two ROTC members had their first circus experience when they worked security for the animals. "We got trapped while they were bringing in the elephants," said Poland, a junior from Tampa, Fla. Preston, a junior from Hazlet, NJ, said it was weird to look down in a bathroom stall and see clown shoes next door. Both said they had high expectations, and the show didn't disappoint. Poland said seeing the lions was "crazy" because they were so massive. Preston thought the same about the elephant stunts. "You see them on Animal Planet, and then they're like right here in your face," he said. The circus was more than just entertaining for him - he said it was a break from the college grind. "I didn't have to worry about college classes," he said. "It takes you back to a time when it was simpler." Vorst remembered when he dreamt of being in the circus as a kid because of all the jumping around and flipping. "It would have been great, even though I was afraid of heights," he said. "But I know my mother never would have let me."

TIM TEGGE

Ringmaster, clown and Performance Director Timothy Tegge paints his clown face on before the show Monday evening. The El Zagal Shrine Circus performed at the Dickinson Recreation Center Sunday and Monday. Acts included clowns, acrobats, jugglers, high-wire acts, a magician, tigers, Doberman Pinchers, elephants and pony rides

AUSTRAILA'S STARDUST CIRCUS

Trainer Matthew Ezekiel with lions Simba, Ceaser, Roarie and Moufassa.

The circus is roaring in to town

28th March 2011

IT roars, laughs and performs – it’s the Stardust Circus. The circus will be wowing the crowds at the Gladstone Showground from Thursday, March 31 to Sunday, April 3. The 16-year-old entertaining extravaganza boasts being Australia’s largest animal circus. Stardust Circus owner Janice Lennon said the circus remained traditional, while many of its counterparts deviated from the classic performance. “We’ve got performing lions, ponies, (horses and) monkeys,” she said. Mrs Lennon said the circus also had jugglers, crazy clowns, a flying trapeze, dynamic aerialists and a 10 person Hungarian teeter board act. Mrs Lennon told the Gladstone Observer the performers were families who had been in the circus industry all their lives. “It’s like a really good family,” she said. Mrs Lennon said they were now bringing up the next generation of performers. "Some of them (the children) do their schooling by correspondence,” she said. Mrs Lennon told the Gladstone Observer the best part about being in the circus was being able to travel around the country. “You get to visit different towns every week and it’s just good,” she said. The circus travels on 22 vehicles, including 14 trucks, semi trailers and many four wheel drives all towing caravans and equipment trailers. Following its stint in Gladstone, the circus will be off to Rockhampton. While in Gladstone, Mrs Lennon said they were expecting up to 4000 people through the gates over the course of the few days. So to be in the audience, hurry and book some tickets now. The best seats in the house – ringside – cost $32 for adults and $20 for children. Elevated chairs cost $28 for adults and $18 for children. The gallery, or general admission, costs $24 for adults and $14 for children. To book, call the Harbour Newsagency and Copy Centre on 4972 6480 or visit the store at 69 Goondoon St, Gladstone. Bookings can also be made online at www.stardustcircus.com.au. For more information contact the circus on 0418 247 287 or visit the circus’ website, which is listed above.