THE BALLOON MAN

Cole Bros. making its annual pilgrimage to the Cape

 

By ANDREA GALABINSKI
Cape Coral Daily Breeze
November 17, 2012
The Big Top rises on Monday for the popular 128th Edition of the Cole Bros. Circus.

Shows will run twice daily from Monday, Nov. 19, through Wednesday, Nov. 21, at both 4:30 and 7:30 p.m., at a special circus area on Pine Island Road.

This will include the last two tours of the year, Cape Coral and then Fort Myers on Nov. 22 through Nov. 25. Then performers will head back to their home base in Deland, Fla.

The ringmaster and performance director for the circus is Chris Connors. He makes sure the show runs on time - all the same - for 100 to 1,000 guests.

"I make sure the animals look good, the performances look good and all is right," he said.

"When people come to the circus they see the guy with the big hat,top hat and tails, and you have to have the booming voice," he said of his unusual occupation.
Highlights of show this year include young performers, elephants and tigers.

"It is a great show this this year, all new for 2012. The biggest little star is our baby elephant Val - and she actually performs with her best friend Halley, the daughter of the presenters."

He noted that Val is 5 years old and that Halley just celebrated her seventh birthday this week.

"Halley grew up around baby Val, and basically they are the same age and they perform in show together. It is a love of friendship between baby humans and animals, all told."

Elephant mother "Wimpy" will be behind the scenes.

"When Baby Val works in the show, her mother stands in the back to make sure all is going well. She's a stage mom."
read more:
http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/532716/Cole-Bros--making-its-annual-pilgrimage-to-the-Cape.html?nav=5011