Tuesday, November 1, 2011



Circus Vargas expected to come to Santa Anita Park

Posted: 10/31/2011

ARCADIA - Circus Vargas will likely be coming to Santa Anita Park for the first time this fall.
Pending City Council approval Tuesday, the animal-free circus with entertainment, lighting and music will bring its 147-foot diameter blue and gold big top tent to the racetrack's southwest parking lot for a two week run starting Thansgiving Day.
"As far as I know, this is a first for having a circus on our grounds," said Pete Siberell, who is Santa Anita Park's director of community service and special projects. "The timing worked out well as we don't have a lot going on in our lots during the holiday season. And it's kind of a test run for us in the event we want to host a larger show like Cirque du Soleil or Cavalia in the future."
While it will not bring in a lot of revenue to Santa Anita Park, there could potentially be more revenue involved with Cirque de Soleil and its equestrian equivalent Cavlia and perhaps some "cross-promotion" opportunities with their audiences, he said.
The City Council must approve any special event held for more than five days. Shows would start on November 24, Thanksgiving Day, and end on Dec. 5. The length of each show is about 90 minutes and is expected to draw between 300 and 500 people each performance.
Circus Vargas Locations Director Mark Landon said the circus was excited to find a stage in the Western San Gabriel Valley, since "we do well with the a more upscale audience," he said.
In addition, "we always like a location that has name recognition," he said. "You say Santa Anita Park, everyone in Southern California will know exactly where that is. We like locations that have a certain amount of traffic and visibility."Read more:
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_19233963#ixzz1cRgVUrdw

No comments:

Post a Comment