A crew with Royal Canadian International Circus is busy setting up a Big Top tent at Cloverdale Fairgrounds for a run of shows this week, starting Thursday evening (June 23).
Surrey is the company’s fourth stop, and first in B.C., on a border-hopping tour this spring, summer and fall, after a two-year break from circus shows.
“We have had record-breaking attendance with capacity crowds so far this year,” noted Cathy Sproule, circus media rep.
At Cloverdale Fairgrounds, on a paved lot southeast of the rec centre, nine circus shows will be performed from Thursday to Sunday. Several red semi-trucks were parked there Tuesday as crews worked to erect a 2,700-seat circus tent, transported here from Edmonton.
Richmond and Kelowna are the other B.C. stops on the current circus tour, which continues until October in 14 cities in Canada and the U.S.
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THANK YOU ALBERTA! Our amazing performers loved showcasing their passions for all of you 💖🤸
We're going to B.C. next!
🎪 Surrey – June 23rd to 26th
🎪 Richmond – June 30th to July 3rd
🎪 Kelowna – July 7th to 10th pic.twitter.com/5xtUM5FvHG— Royal Canadian International Circus (@royal_circus) June 21, 2022
Recently rebranded, Royal Canadian International Circus has come to Surrey several times in recent years, including shows in 2018 and 2019 at Guildford Town Centre, and Cloverdale Fairgrounds in 2017. The 2020 circus tour was set to stop in Cloverdale in June of that year, but those shows were cancelled due to the pandemic.
This time around, circus performers include “Human Cannon Ball” Leo Garcia, hair-hang aerialist Ashley Ojeda, Bauer on the Wheel of Destiny, trapeze artist Claudia Alvarado, the Chicago Boyz acrobatic team, hand-balancing tenor Gimmi Fornaciari, comedy and more.
Based in Calgary, the circus is managed by the Zerbini and Bauer families. Ringmaster Joseph Dominik Bauer is a ninth-generation circus veteran.
More details are on royalcanadiancircus.ca, which includes a link to buy show tickets.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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