What was your first experience at the Circus like?

[Chance Marmalade]

I remember the first circus I ever went to in San Francisco. It was the Ringling Brothers Circus and I remember at the time (I think I was 8 or 9) I found most of the acrobatics very dull. I really enjoyed the clowns though. I can't remember if I saw the Circus before or after I joined the Make*A*Circus program for kids.



I remember I really liked the peanuts BB sold. They were the best peanuts I had ever eaten. At the end of the show I got separated from my chaperone. I was too busy looking over the souvenirs to tell him that I was safe. He was all of 25 feet from me but couldn't see me in the crowd. I think he probably had a minor heart attack! But that day was a great one and I wonder, even though I can't fully remember the event, how much the clowns of that Circus are a part of who I am today.

[The_Princess_of_Bozonia]

Aw, Little Chance was so cute I have vague memories of seeing Ringling Brothers at Madison Square Garden when I was six or so. I remember it as being exciting, but there was too much going on at once. A few years later I saw Big Apple Circus and like you thought the acrobats lackluster... but the clowns stole the show

[Calavera]

Like my brother, I not only have never gone, but I was offered an opportunity and passed it up when I was about 9. Mind you, I did it for a different reason; he turned it down because of his fear of clowns, I turned it down because I don't support organizations that abuse animals.
Yeah, I was a whistle-bower even as a child.

It turned out to be in my best interests, because the people who did go had a klutz sitting behind them and got showered with soda.

[Scruffy]

My first circus was a Shrine show in about 1982 I was about 14 ish. I was already big into clowning and was a bit bummed that there was no real clown production number. I remember a great clown working the come in, But that was about it. It was also the only Circus I ever saw with a real menagre. They had a variety of animals strictly for display. It was the first time I ever saw a Zebra or a Giraffe that close.
Great program though.

[Pam-cakes]

When my mother was pregnant with me, she took my older sis to the circus! I can't remember when I wasn't completly in love with the circus, but I saw my first show when I was 6. I wanted so much to be involved with the circus that I BEGGED my mom to put me in gymnastics. That didn't last to long, and I eventually realized my calling for clowning.

[Sir Toony Van Dukes]

I don't really remember much about my first visit(s) to the circus. I remember going to the circus that was set up in the parking lot of our local shopping center when I was little (5 or 6). Can't say I remember much of the show or what I did or didn't like.

I lived in the suburbs of Chicago and went to Bozo's circus two or three times. My brother was picked to play Bozo's Buckets. I remember trying to scoot over so they would pick me instead. He missed the first bucket his first time and got to try again.

I remember being at a picnic and trying to hide under the table when I saw a clown.

My first trip back to the circus as an adult was two or three years ago when I went to see Ringling Brothers. I saw them again last month when they were in town.

[azzy]

Apparently the first time I went to the circus, I was with my cousin and my mother. I must have been pretty young, but I'm not sure of the age. I guess I just ran under the bleachers the entire time and annoyed people.

I remember some animals, and some of the vendor shops, and the bleachers.

My mother vowed to never take us to the circus again, and she didn't. The only other time I've gone was two years ago when Ringling was in town, brought my daughters. No bleachers there, they mostly sat in their seat and were very good. Where'd they get that from?

[tim]

Originally Posted by Sir Toony Van Dukes

I lived in the suburbs of Chicago and went to Bozo's circus two or three times. My brother was picked to play Bozo's Buckets. I remember trying to scoot over so they would pick me instead. He missed the first bucket his first time and got to try again.

TWO OR THREE TIMES??? How'd you score that? Most people never even got to attend ONCE!

[Sir Toony Van Dukes]

Originally Posted by tim

TWO OR THREE TIMES??? How'd you score that? Most people never even got to attend ONCE!

I guess we were lucky. I know that it took years to get the tickets. The trick was having friends who had extra tickets. I will have to see if I can find any photos. I have a black and white sheet signed by Bozo, Cookie, Frazier Thomas and Garfield Goose. I think that I still have a Cookie the Clown pin.

[pixcoco]

I was in high school when I won tickets to ringling on the radio. My mother took us but she hated ever minute of it.
I remember seeing the area tented off for the performers. I wanted so much to see back there.

In my area No-No the clown had a TV show on a UHF channel (for those who remember what that was) He was MY clown. I saw him at parades and girl scouts. I was on his show and got picked to play a game. When I had kids I took them to see him at the mall and breakfest with santa.
At a week end work shop he was the MC, but as a person not a clown. So I got my pic with him with ME in clown and him in person.