Monster Jam Invades Ringling ... Big Apple Circus Opens (and May Close) in Boston ...

  How blunt.  How crass an image. 

 A quick look at the websites of each reveals that both are at least hanging in there.

New Ringling  appears to be sticking to the rollout style, and bringing back key acts, with Wesley Williams retaining top billing.

The hot bot mutt, Bailey Circuit, that played so well with audiences, will be  back, joining a monster truck in what looks like an amusing stint in AI land.

If you were hoping (well I was) for a return to clown faces and  animals, let go of that one.

By sticking to his rollout format, Feld must be doing well enough to double down on more of the same and, with the Monster elements  obviously a play  to his core base. 

Ah, what a lovely scene at Big Apple. And so elegant the area lighting 

Big Apple seems a sure bet to open in Boston. Tickets already on sale.  Gotham, next?  Website issues not a peep about Lincoln Center.  Never have I known  a  circus  without knowing the name of its owner(s)  Current lords:

 Presented by EMC Presents BAC, The Vazquez Family, and The Gold Group

I goggled Lincoln Center.  AI so far has posted two scenarios,  take your choice.

AI:  No, the Big Apple Circus is not currently playing at Lincoln Center; the circus is playing in Boston from October 9 to November 2, 2025, and they may or may not return to Lincoln Center for a future show

AI:, Yes, the Big Apple Circus is scheduled to perform in New York City in late 2025, with a show listed from December 22, 2025, in Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center. The "Hometown Playground" production, which ran into early 2025, featured traditional circus elements like acrobats and aerialists, with tickets available through various resale sites and through the official website. 

 AI Bonus:  Douglas McPherson, googling across the pond, ran a search for the best circus critics.The names of two came up: Kate Kavanagh and Charles Dickens!

SUNDAY MORNING NOW, AT THE FAIR: Horse Racing Goes Silent, But the King of Carny Rides Twirls On and On

At the fair in the 1950s 

Today in Santa Rosa CA, the annual  Sonoma  County Fair will be coming  to an end. Maybe a softer and sadder ending than usual, for this year, a big fair-time event, horse racing, was off the bill.

In my boyhood, I especially loved the first two of the day, for those were the harness races. Loved the gallant snap of the trotters dashing around and down the final stretch. The intensity was a little quieter, and yet more compelling.

They've  been gone for many years.

The racetrack itself, which I would often visit because we lived only a few blocks from the fairgrounds, gave off a cool somber elegance. And at one time, the Foley and Burk Carnival wagons winter quartered in the flower building.  A few were left outside, at the edge of the racetrack.  One was loaded with the  heavy wooden floor sections of my favorite of all rides -- The Whip. 

Going to the fair in my daring teens, the best I could risk at the race track windows was two dollars to show, and sometimes I came out ahead by a few dimes. 

There are fewer race horses in Northern California, owing to the fact that, with the recent closing of Golden Gate Fields, all of the tracks are gone. Which means fewer horses for the county fairs. And more betters have been walking away from the windows to wager on line.

One thing that still reigns on the midway is a classic carny ride indestructibly appealing. I have marveled at its  endurance and yet am not surprised.  It has something that most other rides do not. Do you know what?  Angela Ramirez of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat certainly does.  She penned a feature report --  "Looking for this year’s can’t-miss carnival attractions? We have you covered." She rated The Top Five Standout Attractions.

Number One: Tilt-A-Whirl!

Yes, oh yes, Angela, this king of carny rides has something that you nailed. Quoting you:

"This classic carnival ride delivered unpredictable fun with every spin, I hopped in expecting a gentle spin — and ended up gripping the bars in front of me for dear life. The Tilt-a-Whirl looks tame form the sidelines, but once it got going, the sudden intense twirls while circling the platform made the experience unpredictable and exciting. This is a ride I would hop off just to get back in line again."

You can never predict which way this one will lurch and spin -- to the right or to the left. 

How many unpredictable rides like that can you name?.  

When I go to the fair, I always hope to spot the Tilt-A-Whirl, and it's still there. Sometimes, yesterday is better than today.

 Now, if they could only bring back the trotters ... 

"Tilt, rock, and spin on this family classic! No two rides are ever the same!" 

 

-- perfectly composed ad copy