Piccadilly Circus performs at fairgrounds

By George L. Winship, Editor

Anderson Valley Post

Posted October 13, 2011

ANDERSON, CA--A performing elephant, a white tiger, several
clowns and even a boxing 250-pound kangaroo named Rocky will
all be under the big top tent when Piccadilly Circus comes to the
Shasta District Fair grounds for two shows on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Brought to you by the same people who produce the Ice Capades,
Piccadilly Circus is celebrating its 25th year entertaining families
throughout the United States.
“We’ve pulled out all the stops!” publicist Cuinn Griffin said.
"Piccadilly Circus has everything you’d expect to see at a circus,"
Griffin said.
Each show is 90 minutes of action-packed fun, the publicity packet
promises.
"You’ll see the Elephant Extravaganza where an elephant stands on
one foot. Motorcycle Madness has motorcycle daredevils
somersaulting and spinning in a big Globe of Doom. Katunga is a
giant jungle monster and the fabulous Mongolian Angels are
outstanding contortionists.
The circus features a White Tiger Spectacular and lot of crazy
comedy with circus clowns. There is even a 1923 Model T with a
mind of its own.
Rounding out the show are daring aerialists, cirque artists and our
special attraction, The Boxing Kangaroo. Rocky is a 250-pound
kangaroo that will have you falling off your seat laughing as audience
members are invited to enter the boxing ring with the long-tailed
marsupial.
Show times are 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1 with advance
tickets available on-line at www.TheFunCircus.com
On the show date, tickets will be sold at the circus box office only.
Free show tickets for children will be distributed by sponsoring
businesses as well as through participating schools, preschools and
churches, Griffin said.

Close Never-Before-Seen Photos From the Golden Age of Circus,
1870-1950

By Maria Popova Since ancient times, spectacles and public performances have
transfixed, entertained, and socialized audiences. Between the
mid-1800s and mid-1900s, the American circus swelled into the
largest show-biz industry in the world and Circus Day became the
year's biggest event, captivating imaginations with its marvelous
minstrel shows, audacious acrobats, and crazy clowns. What made
the circus extraordinary isn't merely that it was the birth of American
pop culture, the Super Bowl, Macy's Parade, and the Olympics all
rolled up into one; it's that it created a place for outsiders to become
the superheroes of their day, for women to showcase their physical
strength in ways that would be socially unacceptable elsewhere, and
for audiences to experience cultures from around the world long
before the age of global citizenship.
The Circus Book: 1870-1950 is a magnificent volume from Taschen
(♥) exploring the circus as a living organism and a way of life, from
its history and sociology to its glamour and discipline, through 650
stunning images, culled from a collection of 30,000 spanning 40
different sources, including many of the earliest photographs ever
taken of the circus, as well as rare images by Stanley Kubrick and
Charles and Ray Eames. More than 80 percent of the images have
never been published, and most have never even been seen before.

Michael Jackson and the 'Immortal' Cirque du Soleil tour blends
dazzling aerial acts, legendary pop

Oct. 14, 2011
BY BRIAN MCCOLLUM
DETROIT FREE PRESS, POP MUSIC WRITER
MONTREAL — There’s a moment in Cirque du Soleil’s

“Immortal” show when the stage empties, the lights go down, and

Michael Jackson’s “I’ll Be There” vocal gets the room to itself.

It’s an unusually quiet scene in a production that’s brimming with

razzle-dazzle, and Cirque’s aerial artists return to the stage soon

enough. But the message is poignant and clear: Jackson may not be

around to perform, but there’s still plenty of showmanship left in the

King of Pop.

Having premiered earlier this month for a Montreal audience that

included the late star’s mother and three children, the $60-million

“Immortal World Tour” will make its U.S. debut Saturday at

Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena. The tour, which will include a December

residency in Las Vegas, will wrap up its stateside run in July before

heading overseas.

Cole Brothers Circus headed to Valdosta

Oct 13, 2011

from: walb.com

By Jade Bulecza

VALDOSTA, GA - Circus lovers are gearing up for some
performances in Valdosta. The Cole Brothers Circus is headed there
next week.
Much of the show features animals. They have 12 tigers trained by a
couple from Germany.
This circus has been around for 127 years, and Cole Brothers
officials say it offers excitement for people of all ages.
"These little kids they've never seen a person before and the look at
all the animals and they're close up with the elephants and at the
same time you can't get that close to elephant unless you go to circus
or zoo," said Mario Vitali, the Cole Brothers marketing manager.
The grand finale is the human cannonball. They'll be at the Five
Points Shopping Center in Valdosta October 18 and 19.

Packing a lunch for the pachyderms

Bonnie the elephant (with hat) celebrated her 17th birthday as she
and other elephants from the Ringling Brothers Circus had their
traditional brunch on the TD Garden floor.

By Amanda Cedrone, Globe Correspondent

From www.boston.com

10/14/2011

Bonnie the elephant celebrated her 17th birthday with eight of her
closest pachyderm friends at the TD Banknorth Garden.
The animals entertained a group of about 30 preschoolers while
dining on a lunch of 60 loaves of bread, 10 cartons of apples, 10
cartons of carrots, 40 heads of lettuce, and watermelon.
One of the elephants present was Barack, Bonnie’s baby, who was
born on Inauguration Day. The shows are here through Sunday.

Arkansas State Fair goes to the monkeys
Oct 15, 2011

N.C. STATE FAIR OPENS--

FROM MIKE NAUGHTON--

Vince Bruce

from: www.telegraph.co.uk

Vince Bruce, who died on September 24 aged 56, was a British rodeo performer who taught America a thing or two about the art of the lasso. Born in Brighton, Sussex, on April 4 1955, Vincent Bruce showed himself a talented rope-spinner by the age of 12, and in his early teens he was starring with Britain’s Circus Hoffman, “The Wildest Show on Earth”.His tuition in the art of rope-spinning had begun when he was eight, at the hands of the Wild West star Tex McLeod, who had performed with Buffalo Bill and appeared in silent Western films before moving in 1919 to England, where he became famous on the variety circuit. When he became too old to entertain, McLeod settled in Brighton, where he ran a boarding house for homeless men just down the street from Vince Bruce’s family. Under McLeod’s guidance, Vince began performing every Friday night at a local show. After touring with Circus Hoffman, the young Bruce joined a French circus. He went on to appear as the French cartoon character Lucky Luke in the Western-themed amusement park outside Paris called La Vallée des Peaux Rouges (Valley of the Red Indians) — an enterprise set up by the actor Jean Richard, famous for his role on television as Georges Simenon’s Inspector Maigret.
When Bruce was 19 he left the circus world for the international nightclub and variety circuit, presenting his trick-rope act all over the world. In 1983 he went to the United States to perform with the Harlem Globetrotters, and in the same year won the International Trick and Fancy Roper Association Championship at Fort Worth, Texas. He decided to settle in America, where he became much in demand at rodeos, circuses and state fairs. In 1989-90 he featured in The Big Apple Circus production Grandma Goes West, alongside stars such as Barry Lubin (as Grandma), Cesar Aedo (a Peruvian mime artiste), Katja Schumann (one of Europe’s leading equestriennes), the Rios Brothers, and Britain’s David Rosaire (with his perky performing pekes).
Bruce made his Broadway debut in 1991, in the Tony Award-winning musical The Will Rogers Follies — A Life in Revue. Appearing as the trick-roping star and portraying Rogers in this tribute to the cowboy and vaudeville star, Bruce remained with the show for two and a half years at New York’s Palace Theatre. For his act, he performed a spin with two ropes, a feat first devised 60 years earlier by Will Rogers himself.
On July 21 1991, at the Empire State Building, Bruce set a new world record — 4,011 — for “Texas Skips” (jumping back and forth through a spinning loop of rope). He already held the two previous world records, 1,814 and 1,851.
Vince Bruce continued to perform in America and internationally in nightclubs, rodeos and variety shows, as well as on television. Recently he had been suffering from cancer.
It was while working in New York that he met his wife, Annie Dubats, a singer based in Manhattan, who survives him. From time to time she performed with Bruce in his shows, singing songs on horseback.

Vince Bruce, born April 4 1955, died September 24 2011.

SC State Fair Commercial 2011

Workers Prepare for SC State Fair
ChiefDmart06



Workers for the South Carolina State Fair share how it takes sacrifices from them and their families to make fairs like the SC fair happen each year.

SC State Fair Opens With New "Eye in the Sky" Security




SC State Fair Cameras
What's new at the SC State Fair this year is something you won't see--it'll see you. The fair has 17 new security cameras throughout the fairgrounds.

The Circus Comes Back to Charlottesville
Oct 12, 2011



For the first time in three years, the circus is back in Charlottesville. The Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus is setting up at the John Paul Jones Arena.

Performances start Thursday and run through Sunday. Tickets start at just $12.

Click on the video below to get a behind-the-scenes look of the circus with NBC29's Kasey Hott.

Circus to parade into town Circus to parade into town

Gazette Staff Report pittgazette@etcnonline.com

Wednesday, October 12, 2011
P ittsburgh, Texas--Carson & Barnes Circus will bring almost 100 performers and animals to the old high school football field located at 110 Fulton St. on Oct. 17 for performances at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Carson & Barnes Circus travels to some 200 towns and cities each season. The circus was invited to Camp County by the Kiwanis Club. Emphasis this year is on a new concept in circus presentation which blends over eight decades of circus tradition and family ownership with new acts and up-close audience viewing.
“They have been a five-ring circus and a three-ring circus, but now they are a one-ring circus,” said Summer Bates, who works in the marketing department of Carson & Barnes, “so everyone has a good view of what’s going on.”
While other circuses have reduced their size and schedule, Carson & Barnes is still the only organization capable of moving such a huge show to a new site nearly every day, seven days a week.
The general public is invited free of charge and school field trips are welcome about 9 that morning to watch as the first units of the caravan begin arriving.
Over two dozen types of exotic and domestic animals, featuring a large traveling zoo, are unloaded, fed and watered and made available for viewing. Viewers can watch as humans and technology work side-by-side to erect America's most spectacular and largest circus big top.
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, acrobatic teams, jugglers and clowns, along with performing elephants, camels, dogs and horses. Visit the circus’ website: http://carsonbarnescircus.com/ for information or contact Pittsburg Kiwanis Club member Pat Smith at 903-856-7929.

FRED HOFFMAN VISITS

OKTOBERFEST, MUNICH

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

PART III

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FRED HOFFMAN VISITS

OKTOBERFEST 2011

MUNICH

09.21.2011

PART III

The circus comes to Bluffton

-Gwyneth J. Saunders/Bluffton Today

The Zerbini Multi-Cultural Family Circus went up at exactly 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, promising fun and laughter this week under the Big Top at Eagles Field in Bluffton.

from: savannanow.com

October 11, 2011

A contortionist, jugglers, leaping dogs, Russian trapeze artists as well as pony and camel rides ensure family fun for children of all ages at more than a dozen shows tonight through Sunday. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. tonight, 5:30 and 7:30 Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m., 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, noon, 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $14 and are available at the gate at Eagles Field on Buck Island Road or online at www.blufftoncircus.com (add $1). Children older than 1 must have a ticket.

At Roba Family Farms in Dalton, Oct. 9

Posted: October 12
At Roba Family Farms in Dalton, Oct. 9, clowns from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey� interacted with guests and enjoyed outdoor activities. Circus shows will be held Oct. 27-30 at Mohegan Sun Arena located at 255 Highland Park Blvd, Wilkes- Barre. Shown, clowns Cherrie, front, and Dave, hop on a couple of tractors at Roba’s. Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/AbingtonJournal/news/At_Roba_Family_Farms_in_Dalton__Oct__9___10-12-2011.html#ixzz1aYfN8xkw

Halloween could be a lucrative venture for Morey’s, boardwalk business

from: shorenewstoday.com Lauren Suit
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
WILDWOOD — The Morey’s Mariner’s Landing Pier was quiet on Oct. 6, except for the eerie sounds of carnival music being piped over the loudspeaker.
The broadcast was a test for the soundtrack that will play during the company’s first Halloween themed event, Morey’s Fears: Terror on the Boardwalk.
Morey’s Fears runs Oct. 14 to Oct. 29, Friday and Saturday nights in October. And if the music is any indication, prepare to be scared.
The Halloween event is the first of its kind for the Morey organization, but has been something they have wanted to do for over a decade.
“Halloween is a huge aspect of the amusement industry,” said Dino Fazio, director of pier operations. “We’ve wanted to do something for 10 years, but we felt like we didn’t have enough of an anchor attraction for a Halloween event.”
Fazio said that the company could finally move forward in earnest after the Ghost Ship was built last year. The Ghost Ship is a 15,000-square foot walkthrough ride shaped like a cargo ship with actors and animatronics.
“That [the Ghost Ship] was the permanent successful attraction we needed,” he said.
With the Ghost Ship getting rave reviews from guests, Fazio said the company felt confident to move forward with their plans to expand their scare tactics to an event.
“We researched attractions from all kinds of parks,” Fazio said. “We learned what worked and what didn’t. Some ideas from other parks we’ve incorporated into our event with our own twist and some are unique to Morey’s.”
The result are characters like Felix the boardwalk barker, CarnEVIL, a clown themed zone filled with scary circus performers and CornStalkers, a corn maze built on the beach.
read more at:http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/wildwood-mainmenu/wildwood-business/17190-halloween-could-be-a-lucrative-venture-for-moreys-boardwalk-business-.html

National Acrobats of China Perform at Nazareth College, Oct. 28

ROCHESTER, NY (10/11/2011)(readMedia)-- Direct from Beijing, the Nazareth College Arts Center welcomes the National Acrobats of China, a prize-wining troupe who has performed worldwide to great acclaim. The company is a two-time Presidential Gold Award winner at the Cirque de Demain Festival as well as the winner of the Golden Clown Award at the 28th Monte Carlo International Circus Festival. More photos are available for media download at http://artscenter.naz.edu/news/media.shtml
The National Acrobats of China will perform on Friday, October 28, at 8pm. Tickets are $40-$70. For tickets and more information call the Nazareth College Arts Center Box Office at (585) 389-2170 or visit artscenter.naz.edu
The show features exquisite costumes, and a unique combination of Eastern and Western art forms, including internationally award-winning acts of contortion, balancing, traditional Chinese diabolo, plate spinning, gymnastics, and cycling
Based in Beijing, China, the Company owns a large Institution for Acrobatic Schooling, Training and Repertoire. The Institution has over 150 Acrobatic resident performers and over 500 Acrobatic Students of all ages. Funded by a special grant from the Beijing Municipality, the Company invests each year in new productions as well as acrobatic science research and creation, in addition to the training facilities of the center, which has become one of the largest Acrobatic and Circus Arts Center's in China and the world.
The Company has toured abroad to over forty countries including Switzerland, Israel, Finland, Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, India, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Costa Rica, Dominica Republic, Sweden, Mexico, Russia, Portugal and Spain. The performance at the Nazareth College Arts Center in October is part of the Company's inaugural tour of the United States and Canada.
About the 2011-2012 Season
Billed as a season of "inspiration," the Nazareth College Arts Center's 2011-2012 Subscription Series features a diverse roster: everything from awesome acrobats to fabulous Flamenco; an innovative, black-light puppet show to internationally renowned contemporary dance; an all-ages a cappella concert to explosive Japanese drumming.Visit artscenter.naz.edu to download a copy of the Season brochure.

2011 Arkansas State Fair kicks off Oct. 14

from: todaysthv.com Written by Lindsey Tugman
Oct 11, 2011
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - Officials at the Arkansas State Fair extend an invitation to all Arkansans to come out and experience the fun, food, thrills and excitement at the 2011 Arkansas State Fair, which runs Friday, Oct. 14 through Sunday, Oct. 23. For ten days in October, patrons can enjoy a variety of free concerts, great food, livestock competitions, various creative arts contests, interesting attractions, professional bull riding and much more. The diversity of entertainment is sure to please everyone.
The 2011 Arkansas State Fair offers a variety of special values to ensure that everyone has a great time at great prices. According to Ralph Shoptaw, general manager of the Fair, Arkansans can find special deals every day of the Fair.
"We have special promotions and discounts every sing day," said Shoptaw. "For the third year in a row our guests can enjoy great fair food and save money on parking and admission with Lunch at the Fair. Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., we're offering free parking and free gate admission for anyone who would like to come out to the fairgrounds for lunch. Receive this year's Fair Food Vendors Map at the gate and find your favorite Fair food."
Advance Purchase Ride Passes will be available at 34 participating Walgreens stores in Arkansas and redeemable for a one-day unlimited ride armband at the State Fair. The special $19 pas can be redeemed at midway ticket booths any day of the Fair, except Dollar Day on Monday Oct. 17, and will save patrons $3.
Patrons can also purchase advance gate admission for just $6.99 and a Family Value Pack for $42.95. The value pack includes four Fair admission tickets (good for any age), one parking pass, 24 ride coupons and $10 in food coupons. Family Value Packs may be purchased at the Fairgrounds Ticket Office, online, by phone at (501) 372-8341 or at participating Walgreens locations. Food coupons are redeemable at any Food Court vendor and in Barton Coliseum. (Coupons not accepted at carnival food vendors.)
Daily admission is $8 for adults, $4 for children (ages 6 to 12) and senior adults (ages 60 and over) and free to children ages 6 and under. Fairgrounds parking is $5 per vehicle.

High prices at the fair
Oct 10, 2011
By Jewell Hillery

mongolian horse circus



Uploaded by gankhuukhurelbaatar on Mar 17, 2010

Clownin’ around

Dave the clown performs his spinning plates trick with help of volunteer Allison Chocallo, 6, of Wilkes-Barre, during the preview held Monday at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

PETE G. WILCOX PHOTOS/THE TIMES LEADER

By Sheena Delazio sdelazio@timesleader.com Staff Writer

Posted: October 11
It’s been said that sharing a sense of humor is the secret to a good marriage, but clowns Dave and Sherry carry it to the extreme. But to children attending the circus tutorial at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Monday, The Greatest Show on Earth was just for them.
Traveling clown ambassadors Dave and Sherry showed them just what Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey is all about -- juggling, dancing and of course, laughing.
“That is what we do best,” said Dave, a clown with the show for nearly 12 years.
To the delight of audiences, the two clowns – married for nearly 20 years – put on several shows Sunday and Monday as part of a program, “Discovering the Circus, the History of The Greatest Show on Earth,” to highlight the 141-year-old circus that began in 1870 with P.T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus.
The show will perform at the arena beginning Oct. 27.
The circus stopped coming to the Wilkes-Barre area in the 1950s after the circus discontinued use of canvas tents and performed only in sporting arenas.
Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Clownin_rsquo__around_10-11-2011.html#addPhotos#ixzz1aSjiGBBf

Alcester Mop Fair Photo Montage 2011



Uploaded by FunFairsUK on Oct 4, 2011
A photo montage of the Alcester Mop Fair, October 2011.

Cirque Succeeds at Mullins Center

Jeff Bernstein/Collegian

By: Alissa Mesibov dailycollegian.com

October 10, 2011

When one attends a Cirque du Soleil performance, seemingly impossible acrobatics, over the top clowning and beautiful artistic designs can be expected.
“Quidam,” the most recent incarnation of Cirque du Soleil, had all of these elements at the Mullins Center this past week. What set it apart from other shows of the world-renowned company was its refreshingly dark angle. Everything from the plot to the aforementioned clowns was influenced by the show’s overall cynical point of view.
“Quidam” opens on Zoe, a young girl trying to gain her parents’ attention. Neither a headless man nor the elaborate ringmaster can make Zoe’s father look up from his newspaper. These wonderful and mysterious characters lead Zoe away from the apathy of the real world to the hyper-alive dreamscape of “Quidam.”
Surprisingly, the storytelling in “Quidam” was well done. Many of the show’s creative team members had worked on the last Cirque du Soleil production “Alegria,” which suffered from a thorough lack of plot. While Zoe’s individual story does get muffled in the middle of act two, the end of the show wraps the story up nicely.read more: http://dailycollegian.com/2011/10/10/cirque-succeeds-at-mullins-center/

Fresno State Eats: The Big Fresno Fair

Uploaded by FresnoStateCollegian on Oct 9, 2011
Fresno State Eats explores the Big Fresno Fair. Collegian Videographer Ezra Romero will take you on a journey through the food and drink of the fair. The fair is held at the Fresno fair grounds and will run until Oct. 16.

Fair officials say safety is first

by Adam Pinsker

from: midlandsconnect.com

Posted: 10.10.2011

COLUMBIA (WACH) - The countdown to the South Carolina State Fair nears its final hours as workers spend Monday putting the finishing touches on rides and exhibits.
A carnival worker from Florida was electrocuted while setting up a ride last year. He was a 20 year veteran of North American Midway Entertainment, the company responsible for setting up the rides.
State fair General Manager Gary Goodman says they are doing what ever it takes to make sure there are no accidents in this and future fairs.
"Safety is our biggest concern, and we have shifted our dates back, a few years back so we would give our carnival a little bit more time to set up."
Ride inspectors are currently on sight and will be checking rides before and during the state fair.
"All the way from trip hazards to fasteners, aesthetics, lighting, make sure everything is still strapped on properly," said General Manager of North American Midway Tony Diaz
All ride operators are certified and overseen by the company's safety department.
Fair officials also taking precautions outside of the rides Goodman says 24-hour surveillance cameras are now running on the fair grounds and in the parking lots:
"We're really already seeing how much we can improve our service to our customers by utilizing these things and putting out fires before they come," said Goodman.

State Fair of Virginia ends until next year

Credit: DEAN HOFFMEYER/TIMES-DISPATCHT

Three-year-old Kaylee Martin of New Kent County rode the carousel Sunday at the State Fair of Virginia.

By: JEREMY SLAYTON

FROM: The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Published: October 10, 2011

Sadie Lynn held on to the saddle horn with her right hand as she leaned to the side of her horse, dragging her left hand in the dirt.
Her mount, Shotgun, thundered around the ring while Lynn hung dangerously close to his hooves.
Gravity-defying tricks from Lynn and the All American Cowboy Chicks drew exclamations of amazement from the crowd.
The Texas-based trick-riding entertainers set the tone Sunday for an awe-filled final day of the State Fair of Virginia at Meadow Event Park in Caroline County that ended with fireworks and a concert from country-music trio The Band Perry.
Concertgoers arrived early for the performance, grabbing spots as close to the stage as possible.
Dee Beverly and her family placed their lawn chairs about three rows back. To secure the prime real estate, they arrived at noon, some seven hours before siblings Kimberly, Reid and Neil Perry took the stage.
Early Sunday afternoon, Beverly sat with her 16-year-old daughter, Allyson, while the rest of their family enjoyed the other fair offerings; later they would switch.
It was the family's fifth concert of the 11-day fair — performances by Tracy Lawrence, the Marshall Tucker Band, Lee Brice and Craig Campbell were the others.
"We wanted to make sure we had good seats, and we figured the place was going to get crowded fast," Dee Beverly, who lives in Caroline, said of the early arrival.
"Especially since (The Band Perry) is a popular band," Allyson added.
Organizers of the State Fair of Virginia say the event is hitting its stride during year three in rural Caroline after 63 years at the Richmond Raceway Complex in Henrico County.
The fair passed the 227,000 visitors mark — last year's total — on Saturday and gates were open Sunday until 9 p.m.; total attendance figures this year were not immediately available. In 2009, the figure was 247,958 people.
"I do think people are adjusting; they come now with an understanding of the layout and how to pace yourself, prioritize your visit," said the fair's president, Curry Roberts. "It really is like going to a fair in the park, and that is what we set out to achieve."
Steve and Darlene Watson of Richmond sat in the cool shade on an otherwise warm afternoon, sharing a bowl of homemade ice cream. Darlene had just finished her volunteer shift at the Virginia Cooperative Extension booth, fascinating inquisitive youth by showing them worms.
The couple took some time to enjoy the fair after Darlene's shift ended and spoke highly of the green space at the cleaner, rural setting.
"There is a lot of education stuff for kids here; that's really worthwhile," said Darlene Watson.

Big Apple Circus Returns to Rhode Island

They're back! And RI couldn't be happier

Monday, October 10, 2011

GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team

Spread the good word.

One of the world's best circuses is coming back to Rhode Island.
The Big Apple Circus has just named Charlestown as its last stop on its 2011-12 season tour, a 14-show stint in South County that will run from June 23-July 8, 2012.
"They are one of the world's great circuses, and to know that they're coming back to Charlestown is wonderful news," Heather Paliotta, executive director of the Charlestown Chamber of Commerce, told the South County Independent. "We have always loved performing there," said Philip Thurston, public relations manager for the circus. "We love the audiences, we love the venue, and we never wanted to leave. We've always been looking for a way to make it back." Thurston, in fact, proposed to his wife on the grounds of Ninigret, he said, so Rhode Island has a special resonance."Dream Big"Big Apple, which has been bringing the world's finest circus performers to Rhode Island over the years, will arrive with "Dream Big," which features performers from the US, Bulgaria, China, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mongolia, and Russia.
Longtime fans will be thrilled to know that the iconic Grandma character will be in the house (or under the tent), along with a juggler whose suit plays a crucial part in the act and a mechanical doll who comes alive in a sinuous balancing act.
As always, there are spirited horses, frolicsome dogs, and a capybara and porcupine to delight children and keep the sawdust in the one-ring circus flying. For tickets and more, go to www.bigapplecircus.org.

It's a dog meet dog show

Rescued pets recruited to perform skits with geese, mice and slapstick humans

The Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre menagerie performs Wednesday at Hutchins Street Square in Lodi.

By Tony SauroRecord Staff Writer

FROM: www.recordnet.com

October 10, 2011

The playful pets rule. Always.
"We have human talents," Gregory Popovich said. "We have pets' talents. The audience judges who has more talents. The pets always win."
Popovich's popular pets - most of them given reprieves after being abandoned - perpetuate his perspective just by acting like themselves in his Las Vegas-based Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre.Dogs are attentive geography students. Geese gaggle nicely as farmers fleeing a fire. Mice ("they're pretty smart") respond as playful passengers on an "animal choo-choo."
"It's in the slapstick tradition," Popovich said. "Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin. The silent-movie comedians."
So, the 30 pets - cats, dogs, geese, doves, a parrot and some mice - won't be talking to their eight human companions when the Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre menagerie performs Wednesday at Hutchins Street Square in Lodi.
They'll do what nature designed them to do.
There's also an altruistic aspect to the show. The 25 cats and dogs all were rescued from animal shelters.
"There are some wonderful, wonderful shelters," said Popovich, 47, who developed his affection for pets as a young juggler in the Moscow Circus. "But it won't be enough if society doesn't change its mind a little bit. People don't want to read about it, but they've got to fix (neuter or spay) their pets. One cat can have 14 kittens."
Wherever his show travels, Popovich scouts animal shelters for perky new puppy and kitty talent.READ MORE:http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111010/A_LIFE/110080309

"Dolphin Tale" - a story of inspiration and technology




Movie audiences across the country will soon get to see a local story about Winter, star of "Dolphin Tale." Her story of learning to swim with a prosthesis is more than inspiration.

Cirque du Soleil loves L.A. but does a balancing act with Hollywood

Its new show 'Iris' is in Tinseltown and about film, but the company has long been cautious dealing with the industry. There are cultural differences.

FROM: www.latimes.com October 9, 2011
Guy Laliberté, the owner-founder of the whimsical Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil circus troupe, likes to say that he and Cirque have had "a love affair with L.A." After all, Los Angeles hosted one of Cirque's shows back in the late 1980s, when the company still was trying to establish a presence outside Montreal, preferably in a warm-weather city where it could perform year-round.
Ever since then, Southern California has been one of Cirque's strongest markets, and Cirque's familiar blue-and-gold striped big top tent has been pitched many times here, from Santa Monica to Orange County. Its newest show, "Iris," a love letter to the movies, recently opened at the Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland complex, where hopes are that it could run for years.
But if Cirque loves L.A., it has been more cautious in its dealings with the business that symbolizes the city for many: Hollywood. Although it has collaborated selectively with some of the major film studios in the past, Cirque has spurned other advances from Hollywood suitors, mainly out of concern about maintaining creative control and also due to philosophical differences with the Hollywood artistic status quo.
Read the full story--http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-cirque-hollywood-20111009,0,6083501.story

MS CHEAP

http://nashvillecircus.com/schedule.php Mary Hance, The Tennessean
The Shrine Circus will hit Municipal Auditorium Thursday through Sunday for seven performances. There is a Circus pre-party one hour before show times where you can ride an elephant or pony, get your face painted and meet circus stars up close and in person. Definitely added value! Circus ticket prices are $12-$23, but there are a limited number of $9 tickets at the box office prior to the first show. And there are some free kids deals, too. www.2011circus.com.

Juggle in the Burgh
Cirque returns to Pittsburgh
geometrixbypat



Local juggler Pat McGuire returns home with Cirque du Soleil's Quidam!

Legoland's opening to be state's first park in years

A Lego model of the space shuttle and launch pad is seen at Legoland Florida in Winter Haven, Fla. The second Legoland in North America, will open Oct. 15 in Winter Haven.

By RICHARD MULLINS The Tampa Tribune

October 07, 2011

TAMPA -- For the first time in decades, this sunny state chock full of theme parks will finally have a new one.
Legoland. A plastic brick-themed amusement park geared entirely to kids age 2 to 12, and the parents who pay their way, will open its doors in the competitive shadow of Mickey Mouse and smack in the middle of a particularly tough economy.
Legoland already has one thing already going for it long before opening day: Built-in brand awareness among millions of kids who clamor over where the family will vacation.
"Legoland has an excellent product and people respond so well to it," said Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services. Every kid in America seems to love, or at least know about Legos, he said. "Go to any mall that has a Lego and Apple store, and they're the busiest places there."
Fans of the former Cypress Gardens won't get lost finding the front gate, as Legoland was built atop the ruins of that yesteryear playground of waterskiing dancers. In its heyday, Cypress Gardens was a sparkling attraction decades before Walt Disney World's opening day.
While Legoland formally opens Oct. 15, a few preview tickets have been leaking out, and members of AAA could buy tickets for two days this weekend. As that clock ticks down to the formal opening day, the marketing onslaught has ratcheted up to a global scale.READ MORE:http://www2.tbo.com/business/business/2011/oct/07/2/legolands-opening-to-be-states-first-park-in-years-ar-270034/

At Flugtag, being a flop is normal




October 8, 2011
The competition featuring homemade flying machines brought thousands to downtown. Tampa.

NOW HERE'S A MICKEY MOUSE CIRCUS!

OKLAHOMA STATE FAIR VIDEOS--

FRED HOFFMAN VISITS

OKTOBERFEST, MUNICH SEPTEMBER 2011

PART I

Dick, the Oktoberfest is without a doubt the largest celebration in the world.Photos enclosed are a selection of rides, shows, concessions and gamesAll rides are spectaculars, even the kiddie rides.

Mixed in with the amusements are 14 large beer halls--each one seationg thousands of people!

A family owns just 1 - 3 rides and each one is heavily flashed, decorated and landscaped. Many of these have fountains and other water features.

People are standing in line for everything starting at 9:00 at in the morning
you have to see it to beleive it!

The grounds are very large--it takes hours to get around.

Fred

FRED HOFFMAN VISITS OKTOBERFEST PART 2

FRED HOFFMAN VISITS OKTOBERFEST

PART II

HERE'S FRED!

HE'S THE ONE ON THE RIGHT.

BUT HE DID WANT ME TO TELL YOU THAT THIS PICTURE

WAS TAKEN BY HIS WIFE!!!

MORE PHOTOS TOMMORROW!