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Circus leaves telltale signs in Overpeck County Park
TARIQ ZEHAWI/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Cole Bros. circus trucks left a half-acre of ruts at Overpeck County Park, but county officials said extremely wet weather was to blame, not anything the circus did wrong.
From: northjersey.com
BY JOHN C. ENSSLIN,STAFF WRITER, The Record
JUNE 17, 2014
The big top came to Overpeck County Park for the first time last weekend, along with the requisite clowns, tigers and elephants. When the circus rolled out to its next destination, however, it left telltale signs of its presence: muddy tire tracks on about a half-acre of land.
But County Parks Director Ron Kistner said last week's torrential rains were to blame more than the trucks that haul the circus from location to location. The water had turned the already soft earth into mud.
Bulldozers will level out the ruts today, Kistner said. With seeding, the roped-off area in the Ridgefield Park section of Overpeck should be back to normal in about a month, he said.
"It all comes back," Kistner said after inspecting the site Monday. "I'm not blaming the circus. They didn't do anything wrong. I was very impressed with their operation."
The four-day event with Cole Bros. Circus was another first for Overpeck, which in recent years has hosted a variety of new events from ethnic celebrations and county fairs to a food truck mash-up and wine festivals. The county has hosted several smaller carnivals, but never a circus.
The circus opened on Thursday on the park's Great Lawn when rain and thunderstorms were pounding the area. Despite the wet weather, a spokesman for the circus said the event went smoothly once the rain let up.
"The experience with people at the park was tremendous," said Randy Hales, marketing director for Cole Bros.
Hales said the tire tracks were confined to about a half-acre of the 20-acre section of the park where the circus set up.
"We enjoyed the experience and hope to be back next year," Hales added.
Kistner said the circus paid a $10,000 permit fee for the four days. The county also required a security deposit.
But because the damages were weather-related, Kistner said the county will not charge Cole Bros. for the bulldozing and reseeding effort.
Kistner also said the area where the damage occurred is far enough away that it will not affect some upcoming events — such as an Irish festival on June 28.
Email: ensslin@northjersey.com
- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/community-news/recreation/circus-leaves-telltale-signs-in-overpeck-county-park-1.1036335#sthash.5zYX3lGL.dpuf
Circus performers speak of lost dreams after severe injuries from accident in Providence
Steven Senne/AP
Injured circus performer Julissa Segrera, 20, says her dream now is to “get up and walk.”
From: providencejournal.com
BY MARK REYNOLDS Journal Staff Writer
June 17, 2014
CHARLESTOWN, Mass. — Six weeks after an equipment failure sent them crashing to the floor of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, four circus aerialists — three in wheelchairs — talked to the media for the first time Tuesday afternoon, tearfully offering thanks to many well-wishers around the world, describing new lives marked with pain and candidly acknowledging altered ambitions.
“My dream was to be a star performer,” said Julissa Segrera, a 20-year-old native of Cuba. “Now my dream is to get up and walk. I will walk one day so I can take my one-and-a-half-year-old son to the park.”
Viktoriya Medeiros, a native of Bulgaria, who turns 35 years old Wednesday, admitted that she will never return to circus acrobatics.
“For me, my dream is just done,” Medeiros said.
Medeiros, Segrera and two other young women who spoke to the media at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital were severely injured when a single carabiner clip snapped during their hair-hanging “human chandelier” act, part of the May 4 performance involving eight aerialists of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Steven Senne/AP
Circus aerialists Julissa Segrera, left, and Dayana Costa are tearful as Costa reads a statement to members of the media Tuesday at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.
They did not show anger toward anyone when they spoke at a news conference that their lawyers had arranged at their request.
Instead, they took the opportunity to send their gratitude to people all over the world, including Rhode Island.
Svitlana Balanicheva, 22, a native of Ukraine, talked about the pride she took from being a circus performer and how she adored entertaining families and especially children.
Balanicheva, the only one of the four aerialists not in a wheelchair, thanked people for their love and support, speaking for both herself and for 25-year-old Viktorila Liakhova, who remained in Providence, where she was having surgery Tuesday.
“To go through what we did is something we never dreamed of,” Balanicheva said.
Dayana Costa’s injuries required little steel rods to be placed in her lower arm and hand. They joined an external rod that held it altogether.
She spoke of a “very, very hard and painful recovery.” The 26-year-old native of Brazil reported that all the prayers and encouragement have helped her and another injured Brazilian aerialist, Stefany Neves, push through the daily hard work and many challenges of recovery.
“Every day is really hard,” she said. “Every day is something new.”
reqad more:
http://www.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/content/20140617-circus-performers-speak-of-lost-dreams-after-severe-injuries-from-accident-in-providence.ece
Circus coming to town Leominster this weekend
A poster for the Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars, which will put on seven shows over three days this weekend in Leominster.
From: sentinelandenterprise.com
By Jack Minch
08/17/14
LEOMINSTER -- Take a step back in time to 1884 this weekend, when the 130th anniversary edition of the Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars comes to town.
The show is bringing elephants, tigers and trapeze artists to perform under the big top, circus spokesman Tom Renesto said.
"If people of this age want to see how the traditional circus was run, they have to see our show," he said.
The one-ring circus is scheduled to perform Friday through Sunday at The Mall at Whitney Field in a parking lot adjacent to Market Basket. The event is not expected to interfere with mall shoppers or the flow of traffic, mall General Manager Elizabeth Kelley said.
"Anything that we can do to support the community and help give the folks some entertainment is always something we're interested in doing," Kelley said. "It also brings families to the mall, maybe some who haven't been here for a while."
In the age of video games and high-definition television, the circus remains popular, Renesto said.
"It's the way circuses used to be under the big top," he said. "They don't make a game like that for kids."
People can get up close to the sights, sounds and smells of the event.
"We've got motorcycles this year, we've got clowns this year, face-painting," Renesto said. "We've got it all."
It even has a human cannonball.
"We've still got the world's largest cannon," Renesto said. "We set that cannon up one end of the tent and shoot a guy across the tent."
The tent is scheduled to go up Friday morning, but in a concession to modern times, elephants will not be used.
Shows are scheduled for Friday at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Each show is about two hours, Renesto said
Read more: http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/news/ci_25977908/circus-coming-town-leominster-this-weekend#ixzz3512H3BVx
Lawyers plan lawsuit in Providence circus accident
From: turnto10.com
By Associated Press
Posted: Jun 17, 2014
News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England
see video here
BOSTON -
Four of the acrobats seriously injured in a hair-hanging stunt gone awry are planning a lawsuit and are coming to terms with the idea their lives might never be the same, they said Tuesday from the hospital where they're recovering.
A total of eight acrobats from the U.S., Brazil, Bulgaria and Ukraine were injured May 4, when, investigators say, a carabiner clip snapped, sending them plummeting about 30 feet to the floor at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Providence.
Four of the women spoke Tuesday at a news conference at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where a number are still undergoing physical therapy. For some it was their first public appearance since the accident.
They declined to detail the extent of their individual injuries, but their lawyers said the performers had, collectively, experienced about two dozen surgeries.
Julissa Segrera, 20, said her dream had been to be a star performer. Now her dream is to be able to someday walk with her young son to the park.
Viktoriya Medeiros, 34, of Bulgaria, who designed the hair-hanging "human chandelier" act with her husband, said the women know they are lucky to be alive. She wore a neck brace and was in a wheelchair. She said she won't be able to perform the stunt ever again.
"I will not be able to go back and to make what I know to do best, what I love to do. It's my dreams," Medeiros said.
Dayana Costa, 26, of Brazil, said her family had put their lives on hold to be with her in Boston during the long recovery. She wore a neck brace, had pins in her arms and was in a motorized chair. She said her recovery was difficult and painful.
"I believe the same God that saved me, my friends' life, is the same God that's going to give our victory," she said.
The lawyers, of Chicago's Clifford Law Offices, declined to say who would be the focus of a lawsuit. They said it would be difficult to sue the circus, but would more likely target others, possibly the maker of the carabiner or the arena.
The women's medical treatment is being covered through workers' compensation.
Philipsburg Boro considers request to host circus
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
By Tyler Kolesar Staff Writer
PHILIPSBURG - Could the circus be coming to town? The possibility was brought up at last night's Philipsburg Borough Council meeting, as they have been contacted about hosting one. Borough Manager Joel Watson read a letter from Lewis & Clark Circus, saying they would like to come to the borough on July 11 to perform. The letter stated they were specifically looking to perform at the Project 70 soccer fields, but would gladly perform at any location the borough sees fit.
The circus would need a space that's 100 feet by 100 feet, and access to water for the animals. Shows would be held at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. that night, and the tent would be gone by the end of the night.
One big conflict was immediately brought up regarding the date, which would conflict with the town's Heritage Days celebration. Council Member Harry Wood, who is also a part of the Heritage Days Committee, said the purpose of Heritage Days is to focus on the downtown area. By having a circus at the soccer fields, it would draw attention away from the downtown celebration. Council Member John Knowles agreed.
read more:
http://www.theprogressnews.com/default.asp?read=38972
More than a thousand seek jobs at the L.A. County Fair
Scores of applicants attended a hiring event today at Fairplex in Pomona to fill 1,200 temporary positions for the upcoming L.A. County Fair. Neil Nisperos — Staff
From: dailybulletin
By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
06/17/14
POMONA >> People interested in a five-week job behind the scenes at the L.A. County Fair are in luck.
The L.A. County Fair is hiring to fill 1,200 open jobs at the fair, for a variety of positions that include everything from tickets and concessions to electrical work, concert staff, and guest relations.
About 1,000 people came to Pomona Fairplex Exhibit Hall 6 on Tuesday to meet with fair recruiters for a variety of different jobs.
Veronica Mendez, 37, of Pomona, had sold food at the event in the past for a vendor and was looking for a new job at the event, possibly for concessions.
“I love the food and the excitement of coming,” Mendez said. “We’re from Pomona, so this is like a big old event for our city.”
Fair organizers will be hiring from now through the event, which runs from Aug. 29 through Sept. 28.
“We have a wide range of seasonal positions, like concessions and janitorial,” said Renee Hernandez, spokeswoman for the fair. “We need help with admissions. We do have some full-time positions were trying to fill with (information technology) and our accounting departments.”
Hired employees have quite the job ahead of them. Last year, 1.5 million people attended the fair, which organizers said is the largest county fair in the United States.”
“From what I’ve seen so far, and from last year, it’s a wide range (of people seeking work),” Hernandez said. “We have some students looking for a summer job because it’s end of summer. We have a lot of people that may have been laid off and haven’t been employed for a while.”
read more:
http://www.dailybulletin.com/business/20140617/more-than-a-thousand-seek-jobs-at-the-la-county-fair
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Region set to soar with OC Air Show
Daily Times Staff
June 13, 2014
The seventh Ocean City Air Show brings thrills and chills and the return of military jets to the beach this weekend.
Last year's federal government sequestration cuts trimmed military planes from the lineup, but there are no such worries this year.
Photos: Circus performs in Irishtown
FROM:TheEveningSun.com
06/12/20
The Kelly Miller Circus held two performances at the Irishtown Volunteer Fire Department on June 7.
The international show, which travels more than 10,000 miles in 38 weeks in countries such as Italy, France, Mexico, Argentina and the United States, has more than 90 workers and performers.
This is the third year the Irishtown Volunteer Fire Department has held the circus. Last year the fire company was able to raise $3,000 from ticket sales, said Tony Sentz, Irishtown Volunteer Fire Department financial secretary.
A circus employee puts up a circus tent on Saturday June 7, 2014 for the Kelly Miller Circus at the Irishtown Volunteer Fire Department. Shane Dunlap - The Evening Sun
Lisa, a 38 year old elephant, walks back after helping put up the circus tent on Saturday morning June 7, 2014 at the Irishtown Volunteer Fire Department. Shane Dunlap - The Evening Sun
Lisa, a 38 year old female elephant, helps put up the big top tent on Saturday June 7, 2014 at the Irishtown Volunteer Fire Department before the beginning of two shows by the Kelly Miller Circus. The circus will be performing in New Freedom on Sunday. Shane Dunlap - The Evening Sun
Workers put stakes in the ground for tents at the Irishtown Volunteer Fire Department before the start of the Kelly Miller Circus performances on Saturday June 7, 2014. Shane Dunlap - The Evening Sun
Doug Senft, of Hanover, holds his one year-old granddaughter, Harper Miller, as the crowd gets a view of the big top tent going up on Saturday June 7, 2014 at Irishtown Volunteer Fire Department before the start of Saturday performance by the Kelly Miller Circus. Shane Dunlap - The Evening Sun
see and READ MORE:
http://www.eveningsun.com/local/ci_25951314/photos-circus-performs-irishtown
Kelly Miller Circus coming to Chester Township thanks to Kiwanis Club
from: news-herald.com
By News-Herald staff
06/15/14
The Kiwanis Club of West Geauga announced the Kelly Miller Circus will have two performances — 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. — on July 18, in the West Geauga High School parking lot.
It is one of the few traveling circuses still in existence and is the same circus that has visited the area in the past but with a variety of new performers and performances, according to a news release from the Kiwanis Club.
At 8 a.m. July 18, there will be a free viewing and guided tour of the circus as it sets up; unloading the equipment and the animals, and erecting the Big Top about 9 a.m. with the help of an elephant.
The high school is located at 13401 Chillicothe Road in Chester Township.
Ticket prices for the performances are, in advance: $10 for adults and $6 for children younger than 12; and at the gate, $15 for adults and $7 for children younger than 12. Advance tickets are available at Discount Drug Mart in Chester and Bainbridge townships, Highland Heights and Mentor; and 10 West Salon in Chagrin Falls.
This circus is sponsored by the West Geauga Kiwanis as a community event and fundraiser. The proceeds to the Kiwanis is returned to the community through our many projects including Concerts in the Park, support of the Clay Eddy Fields, Science Fair, 4th of July Parade, Scholarships and many school and Metzenbaum activities, according to the news release.
Contact Bob Steinberg — home: 440-729-6244, cell: 440 823-8945 or email: sirgwhiz@gmail.com — for any of the following:
-- Questions about anything to do with the circus
-- For tickets for residents of group homes and their caregivers as well as some children, thanks to local businesses which have purchased these special tickets and donated them back to Kiwanis for distribution.
-- For those who would like a banner for their company to be displayed in the Big Top and have a brief announcement made at the beginning of each show. Cost is $100.
For more information, visit www.wgkiwanis.org or www.kellymillercircus.com.
2014 Merced County Fair comes to a close
Youths enjoy the thrills of the midway rides Saturday night at the Merced County Fair. ELIAS FUNEZ — efunez@modbee.com
From: fresnobee.com
BY ANA B. IBARRA
June 15, 2014
The laughter of children, the neighing of ponies and the smell of deep-fried foods filled the fairgrounds this weekend as the 123rd annual Merced County Fair came to an end.
Fairgoers were able to enjoy a variety of musical numbers, dance performances, carnival rides and game booths.
The main attraction on Saturday night was the Humpz and Hornz Bull Riding Tour, featuring 30 bull riders. Sunday night attracted a large Latino population with the Jaripeo Ranchero, a bull riding event with musical performances by Norteño artists.
Atwater resident Guadalupe Cervantes was one of the many people awaiting the jaripeo event.
“My family and I have been coming to this fair for about 10 years now, and the bull riding is definitely our favorite thing to watch,” Cervantes said in Spanish. “We also go to other jaripeos in different parts of the Valley, but this one at the fair is one of the better ones; it’s always a good time.”
Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/06/15/3979546/2014-merced-county-fair-comes.html#storylink=cpy
SUMMER FUN
Napa Valley Expo shifts focus to revamped Town & Country Fair
The Napa Town & Country Fair is gearing up for a July 16 start -- a month earlier than usual. This photo was taken in August 2008.
from- napavalleyregister.com
By Janelle Wetzstein
June 15,2014
With the crush of BottleRock 2014 firmly behind the Napa Valley Expo, the board has turned its attention to this year’s Town & Country Fair.
“We’re just getting started with (the advertising) and it’s going really well,” Expo CEO Joe Anderson said last week. “I think we have a good plan in place to really market the fair and get some exposure.”
While this year’s fair will feature a host of changes — including a new carnival, new attractions and a new bull-riding competition — the two most noticeable differences will be the July start date and the cancellation of its long-running Sunday parade.
Last year, the fair board decided to change Town & Country’s start date from August to a month earlier, in an effort to reduce competition with the nearby Sonoma County Fair that also runs in August.
Moving the fair cut one month off the livestock raising season, giving participants in the fair’s Junior Livestock Auction one month less to get their animals up to target weights that fetch top dollar at auction. But Anderson said last week that those fears have been put to rest by the committee, whose members say their animals are ready for the earlier auction.
Slated to start July 16, the Expo’s 2014 fair will now occur just 12 days after the city hosts a much larger Fourth of July parade.
“Because of the dates and the fair now being so close to the Fourth of July, we didn’t want to take anything away from that parade,” said Anderson. “We are going to put a unit in the Fourth of July parade that advertises the fair instead. That way, we don’t have to close the same downtown route a week and a half later.”
A significant addition to this year’s festivities will be a bull-riding competition. The event will be produced by a rodeo company called the Thrill from Morgan Hill and will take place Friday, July 18.
“There will be a $5,000 purse for the winner and several other smaller prizes as well,” said Anderson. “We are also doing a small, local competition for the kids called Mutton Busting, which will be kids riding sheep. It will be a lot of fun.”
read more at:
http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napa-valley-expo-shifts-focus-to-revamped-town-country-fair/article_bbd943bc-0f06-56e5-af8d-30ad7c55ed08.html
The Circus Comes to Town
Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna delivers jaw-dropping stunts
from- buedu.edu/today/the-circus-comes-to-town
By Paula Sokolska (COM’15)
06.16.2014
BOSTON,MA--The uneven bars, a classic gymnastic event, premiere at Cirque du Soleil in Amaluna. Photo by Laurence Labat
The circus has come to Beantown. And we’re not talking about just any circus. Cirque du Soleil’s current production, Amaluna—a modern twist on Shakespeare’s The Tempest—will amaze you with its feats of strength and acrobatics.
Set on a mysterious island governed by goddesses and the cycles of the moon, the story of Queen Prospera (Shakespeare’s Prospero), a shaman with magical powers, unfolds. The queen conjures up a great storm in preparation for the coming-of-age ceremony of her daughter, Miranda. The storm leaves a group of young men, led by Prince Romeo, shipwrecked on the island. An epic romance between the prince and Miranda ensues.
Fans of the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil won’t be disappointed by the troupe’s signature awe-inspiring acts: acrobats, juggling, gymnastics, as well as aerial and underwater work. But what’s unique to this particular show is its feminine emphasis—70 percent of the cast is women, unusual for Cirque du Soleil shows. Amaluna was conceived and directed by a name familiar to Boston theatergoers: Tony-winning director Diane Paulus, artistic director of the American Repertory Theater, in Cambridge.
With its clingy, harlequin costumes, expert tumbles and twirls, and a modern plotline brimming with trials and tribulations, Amaluna is the jaw-dropping can’t-miss of the summer.
Cirque du Soleil’s Amaluna is playing through July 6 at the Boston Marine Industrial Park on the Waterfront, 6 Tide St., Boston. Tickets range from $25 to $145. Find performance times and purchase tickets here. By public transportation, take any inbound Green Line trolley to Park Street, transfer to an inbound Red Line train to South Station, and take a Silver Line bus to Northern Avenue at Tide Street.
Paula Sokolska can be reached at ps5642@bu.edu.
Worry Under the Big Top as Mexico City Moves to Ban Circus Animals
Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times
from: nytimes.com
By ELISABETH MALKIN
JUNE 14, 2014
MEXICO CITY — It is a weekday evening under the circus tent, and Bebeto Fuentes does it all effortlessly. He soars on the trapeze, vaults on and off a cantering horse, keeps an eye on the tigers, spins off the trampoline and takes a turn as a melancholy clown.
But once he is out of the ring, he talks anxiously, worry on his young face. If the ban on circus animals that was approved here last week goes ahead, he said, the Fuentes Gasca Brothers Circus, founded by his grandparents, will not survive.
“My grandmother taught my father; he taught us,” said Mr. Fuentes, 20, who appears with his brothers as the Fuentes Boys, twice each evening and four times on Sundays. “I was born among the tigers and the monkeys.”
Mexico City’s legislative assembly voted last week to prohibit animals from appearing in circuses, a ban that will take effect a year after the law is published in the city register. That may take awhile: The city government has agreed to meet with circus owners first. The ban echoes rising concern in many countries about the treatment of circus animals, stoked by undercover videos circulated by animal rights groups on social media, investigative magazine articles and high-profile lawsuits.
Mexico’s tight-knit community of family-owned circuses, whose big tops seem like a midcentury relic compared with the glittering spectacle that most Americans know, is on the defensive, arguing that a cherished Mexican tradition would vanish and tens of thousands of people, many of them the working poor, would be thrown out of work.
read the reast of the story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/world/americas/worry-under-the-big-top-as-mexico-city-moves-to-ban-circus-animals.html?_r=0
Circus Elephants: Abuse Case Settled, Restrictions Debated
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus artists and elephants perform during Barnum's FUNundrum in New York on March 26, 2010. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)
from: wwno.org/circus-elephants-
By EDITOR
Originally published on Mon May 19, 2014
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus artists and elephants perform during Barnum's FUNundrum in New York on March 26, 2010. (Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images)
Last week, the Humane Society and other animal rights activists paid $15 million to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, to settle a lawsuit alleging the circus abused its animals, but which was called “frivolous” by a judge hearing the case.
Because the case was settled, the courts never ruled on the question of animal abuse. One Virginia Congressman wants to limit circus use of animals.
U.S. Rep. Jim Moran has re-filed a bill to restrict the use of exotic animals by traveling circuses. He discusses the measure with Here & Now’s Robin Young.
Interview Highlights: U.S. Rep. Jim Moran
On the effect of the ruling on the cause
“It’s not really a setback. The conclusion was fairly predictable: the judge ruled that the animal welfare groups did not have standing to bring the case. The issue is still alive. I don’t consider it a defeat. It’s a bit of a setback, but it’s not one that we couldn’t have predicted.”
On educating people about treatment of animals in circuses
“I think all we can do is present the facts: they use these bullhooks, whips, metal pipes, kicks to the head. That’s how they get them to perform. And we have any number of cases where we have seen the animals have been confined for, in some cases, 98 percent of their life in a small, little cage.”
On circuses’ argument that they raise people’s animal awareness
“They should be aware of wild animals as they normally function in the wild. Their perception of an elephant or a lion or a tiger should not be standing on their hind legs, bouncing a ball.”
On the chance of his circus animal protection bill being passed
“It’s not impossible, but I know that there’s a lot of resistance to it. We can’t give up, because the animals can’t speak out for themselves.”
Guest
Jim Moran, Democratic U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 8th congressional district. He tweets @Jim_Moran.
Copyright 2014 WBUR-FM. To see more, visit http://www.wbur.org.
Parade Marshal Wopat among four-day Circus Celebration highlights
Tony-nominated star of stage and screen, singer and recording artist Tom Wopat, a Lodi native, will serve as the grand marshal of the 2nd Annual Baraboo Big Top Parade in Baraboo, Wisconsin on Saturday, July 26 at 2 p.m.
from: hngnews.com
By Chris Mertes
June 15,2014
From Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27, Baraboo will celebrate its colossal circus roots with a new four-day Circus Celebration festival and Big Top Parade for children of all ages.
“Young, old, young at heart, old at heart, everyone will enjoy the Circus Celebration Days and Baraboo Big Top Parade,” said Debra Bauer, Executive Director of the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce, which is organizing the festival with Downtown Baraboo, Inc.
The festival coincides with the 130th anniversary of the Ringling Bros. Circus, which presented its first performance in Baraboo on May 19, 1884. The circus operated its winter quarters along the banks of the Baraboo River, now a National Historic Landmark, for the following 34 years.
“There are a lot of communities in Wisconsin that have a circus connection, but nobody has a connection to the largest circus of all time, the Ringling Bros. World’s Greatest Shows. That’s Baraboo and only Baraboo residents have that connection,” noted Baraboo native David SaLoutos, Circus World’s Performance Director and Ringmaster.
Thursday, July 24 – Free Circus Band Concert on the Square
The four days of family-friendly Circus Celebration events will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 24 with a free Concert on the Square presented by Professor Gerald Stich’s Original Baraboo Circus Band on the grounds of downtown Baraboo’s historic courthouse. The concert will feature guest artist David SaLoutos, Circus World Museum Ringmaster, reciting the history of circus music, as written by the late circus historian Robert Parkinson.
read more:
http://www.hngnews.com/sun_prairie_star/news/regional/article_56187c24-f3fe-11e3-a52d-001a4bcf6878.html
Children ride elephants and camels at Wausau circus
From: waow.com
By David Schuman, Multimedia Journalist
Jun 15, 2014
WAUSAU (WAOW) -- A three ring circus wrapped up its final day in Wausau Sunday afternoon.
Children got the chance to ride camels and ponies as well as Cindy the elephant. Cindy is 46 years old and joined the circus after growing up in Asia.
Like a true performer, her trainers say she puts on a better show when she gets more attention.
"Believe it or not, they actually enjoy the larger crowds we have," said Billy Morris, the circus' elephant trainer. "They enjoy hearing the crowds. They're performers."
Organizers say more than 1,000 people attended the shows.
Feld complex houses monster trucks, ice rinks
FROM: miamiherald.com
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
06.14.14
ELLENTON, Fla. -- There are a lot of secrets under wraps at Feld Entertainment in Ellenton.
The company is creating Marvel Universe Live, with Spider-man, Hulk and Iron Man. There's also the rehearsals for Disney's ice show based on the mega hit movie Frozen, which starts a national tour this fall. Feld is responsible for 5,000 shows a year including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney Live, Disney on Ice, Nuclear Cowboyz, Monster Jam, Arenacross and Marvel.
The massive facility, which opened in 2013, holds two dozen monster trucks worth up to $300,000 each, 13 portable ice rinks, plus circus trains and 10,000 glittery costumes with 1 million sequins and rhinestones sewn on costumes for each production.
The Tampa Bay Times (http://tinyurl.com/p5d25yv) reports the billion-dollar entertainment company received nearly $4 million in state and local incentives and grants to keep 148 jobs in Manatee County. Roughly 30 million people attend one of Feld's 5,000 live entertainment shows every year.
And the space, which can fit three football fields between the front door and back of the main building, may be expanding.
Feld uses the site for its own touring shows, but Casey Rodgers, vice president of financial and strategic planning, said the company will rent its space to other companies. ESPN recently filmed a commercial with former Alabama football player C.J. Mosley on a gladiator-style field of battle.
The company ultimately hopes to attract some of the biggest concert tours and Broadway shows in the country. When mega pop stars plan tours, they rent out stadiums for weeks to plot the lighting, pyrotechnics and choreography before hitting the road.
"This is the only place where you can have the space of a rehearsal hall and steps away you can have people who can make any prop or sew any costume," Rodgers said.
The Marvel Universe Live show is currently perfecting its special effects and stunts at the facility before debuting at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in July. After that, the show will set out on an 85 city tour.
"We could not have put on a show of this magnitude without those studios," said Juliette Feld, the third generation running the family business.
Information from: Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.), http://www.tampabay.com.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/06/14/4178397/feld-complex-houses-monster-trucks.html#storylink=cpy