Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Dragons in Review

We saw the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Dragons yesterday.  It was really very good!  There were a couple acts that were not as good as I had hoped, but overall the show was extremely well done.  We arrived a little early and went down on the arena floor.  We weren't there early enough to do much, but the kids got to dress up like clowns and meet some of the performers.  While waiting for the show to start the clowns were out to keep the audience entertained.  The show was all about dragons, courage, heart, wisdom, and strength.

The Riders of the Wind were my favorite part, but I really love horses.  A lot.  The riders were amazing and the horses so well trained.  During the show one of the horses pretended to be wild and untrainable.  It was so funny!

Next was a high-wire motorcycle act.  This is one that I wasn't enthralled with.  It was different and kind of cool, but went a little long for my taste.

After that was Alexander, the big cat trainer.  Picasso LOVES big cats so was bouncing up and down in his seat at this point.  There were both lions and tigers in this act.  The big male lion kept rubbing heads with all the girls, lion and tiger alike.  Whenever Alexander would pet the big cats it reminded me so much of our cat.  They would get the exact same looks on their faces as he does. 

There were some acrobats in balls.  It was fascinating as the balls opened at the bottom.  Princess would cover her eyes as she was worried about them falling out.  I told her they practice a LOT and know what they were doing.

Then there were the sisters that hang by their hair.  OUCH!  I have no clue how they do what they do.

Next up were the Shaolin Monks.  I was really looking forward to this part and felt a little let down.  Solely because I was expecting more of a display of their discipline of karate.  It was more of a display of strength then anything.  It was still really cool, just not what I expected.

The Russian Bar was very interesting.  I've seen it before on television, but never in person.  The fact that they get that much air and land so lightly is just crazy!

The trapeze troupe was very good.  I always enjoy watching a good trapeze troupe.  The amount of skill required is just insane.  It looks like so much fun, but I would never dare do it myself.  When I was younger I would have without a second thought, I'm getting old and more cautious.

There were some more animal acts that went on simultaneously, it was hard to decide what to watch!  There were some house cats in one ring, dogs in another, and in the third were horses, goats, and llamas (possibly alpacas).  They were all really good, but the dogs were my personal favorite.

The troupe that did the Russian Bar then did a springboard act.  They did things on that which as a child we thought about doing off a teeter totter.  Or maybe just what I thought of doing.

After that there were elephants.  Such big and majestic animals!

 
Then there was a motorcycle group that drove in a sphere.  How they get that many bikes going round in such a small space is crazy.

The amount of trust that the different troupes have with each other and that the animals have with their trainers is beyond insane.  If one person has an off day things would not turn out well.  They put so much time and effort into what they do. 

I can honestly recommend going to see the show.  Even the parts that were not my favorite, or what I expected it to be, were good.  They have a live band, which was super cool.  They were a bit loud, but not overwhelmingly so.  If you haven't gotten tickets yet I'd suggest doing so.  It is a great family activity. 

Tonight's Opening Night!

I woke up this morning to Picasso singing "da, da, da, da, da, circus" while jumping all over the place.  The kids are so excited to go see Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus tonight!  I will be posting my review of the circus and some pictures tomorrow.  Are you going to see the circus?  If you still need tickets, it is not too late to get them!  The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be in Denver from September 27 - October 7 at the Denver Coliseum. Tickets are $12 on opening night (excluding Circus Celebrity, Front row, or VIP seats.) Kids tickets are only $10 for the Sept 27 - October 4th performances (excludes all VIP seating, good for kids 2-12. Limit 4 kids' tickets per 1 adult ticket.) Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster. Don't forget to mention code: TFFA to save $4 per ticket! (Not valid on Oct 5 @ 7pm or any Oct. 6 or 7 performances, excludes all VIP seating.)

Let the fun begin! 

And since this has been stuck in my head all morning, I thought I'd share and let it be stuck in your heads also.  Enjoy!

Anticipation Builds

The count down is on with the kids for next Thursday and opening night of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Dragons show!  They are so excited to go and that excitement is definitely contagious.  I love going anyhow, but when the kids get so excited it adds to it for me.  If you have not gotten tickets for your family and you want to go there is still time!  The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be in Denver from September 27 - October 7 at the Denver Coliseum. Tickets are $12 on opening night (excluding Circus Celebrity, Front row, or VIP seats.) Kids tickets are only $10 for the Sept 27 - October 4th performances (excludes all VIP seating, good for kids 2-12. Limit 4 kids' tickets per 1 adult ticket.) Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster. Don't forget to mention code: TFFA to save $4 per ticket! (Not valid on Oct 5 @ 7pm or any Oct. 6 or 7 performances, excludes all VIP seating.)

Did you know if you show up 90 minutes before the show that you can attend the Animal Open House?  It is your chance to see the animals before the show up close.  See how they live on the road and how they are cared for.  60 minutes before the show starts there is an All Access Pre-Show where you can be on the floor with many of the performers.  My kids LOVE this!

We are ready for the intrigue, fun, and joy of the circus are you?  In the meantime here is a coloring page for your kids!

 

Circus Protesters

We are really excited to go see Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents Dragons in a couple weeks!  The one part of going to the circus that I do not enjoy is the protesters.  I know they are within their rights to picket outside the venue.  However I do not like that they try and push their propaganda on children in the form of coloring books.  I do get that animal cruelty is a big deal and I know that there are circuses and zoos throughout the world that treat their animals horribly.  The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, CO has rescued many of these animals throughout the years.  They are an amazing organization.  If you do not know about them I suggest you check out their website.  I think it is important to be informed about these things and to realize the reality of it.

I personally do not believe that Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey mistreat their animals.  Last year I paid close attention to how the whips and hooks were being used.  Never did the whips touch the animals.  The hooks used with the elephants never grabbed the animals, they would touch their legs every now and then with the side of the hook, but that was it.  These animals are their livelihood, they would not be smart to mistreat them.  If you attend one of the performance times you can arrive early and tour the animal enclosure.  You can see for yourself what their living conditions are like on the road.  Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey have large conservation centers for elephants and big cats.  They are doing some great work at these centers.

http://www.elephantcenter.com/

At the end of the day there is nothing to be done about the protesters.  We will be talking to our kids about the fact that they will be there.  About the fact that they should not ever take things from people they do not know without their parents permission.  We will also be talking about why the protesters are there, about the fact that there are places that mistreat their animals.  We will tell our kids to watch how the animals here are treated so they can decide for themselves what they think.  The protesters become a learning experience at the end of the day.  So I suppose I should not dislike them as they are giving me a reason to talk to my children about this important subject.  If you plan on taking your child(ren) to see the Dragons show, make sure to talk to them about this subject before you go. 

Joys of Fall

Fall is definitely on its way!  The nights are colder, mornings are cooler, leaves are starting to change on the trees.  I really, really do love fall!  Another thing that my family loves about fall?  That would be the fact that the circus comes to town!  Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be in Denver at the end of the month.  This year their show is based on the Year of the Dragon.  Which is doubly cool as I was born in the year of the dragon!  Plus, dragons are just cool.  :)

The newest Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey show is looking to be really good and I am very excited to go see it with my family.  One of the parts I am most excited to see is the "Riders of the Wind".  They are a Cossack group of acrobatic equestrians.  Horses are at the top of my favorite things that I love.  I love everything about them, so watching a group of skilled equestrians and their mounts is a sight to behold!

This year's show also includes Shaolin monks (seriously cool!), a Russian bar act, motorcycle daredevils, trapeze artists, animals, and clowns.  I would bet that their will also be dragons at some point, though I'll have to wait and see on that point!

The Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be in Denver from September 27 - October 7 at the Denver Coliseum.  Tickets are $12 on opening night (excluding Circus Celebrity, Front row, or VIP seats.)  Kids tickets are only $10 for the Sept 27 - October 4th performances (excludes all VIP seating, good for kids 2-12.  Limit 4 kids' tickets per 1 adult ticket.)  Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster.  Don't forget to mention code: TFFA to save $4 per ticket!  (Not valid on Oct 5 @ 7pm or any Oct. 6 or 7 performances, excludes all VIP seating.)

I am a Feld Family Activator, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to this event.  All opinions posted here are my own. 

Fully Charged!

We went and saw Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged on Thursday night.  We were unable to get there to see the animals beforehand, which kinda bummed the kids out.  Next time!  As we were walking up there were people handing out coloring books.  If you go, don't take the coloring book unless you want the anti-circus literature that it is.  The protestors were fairly quiet, no yelling, which was nice.  We talked to the kids about the fact that there would be protestors and why they are protesting.  We talked about the fact that there are circuses, especially in other countries, that still treat their animals badly. 

Once inside we took the kids down to the main floor to see the preshow fun.  The kids got "Greatest Show on Earth" tattos on their hands.  They watched the jugglers and an aerialist (not sure what their actual title is).  We were barely able to sneak in a chance to try on the clown jackets before they put them away.  The clowns kept everyone entertained while we waited for the show to start.

The Ringmaster, Brian Scott, did an amazing job of singing the National Anthem.  Great way to start off the show!  The show really was fully charged!  There was everything from aerialists, to strong men, to a high wire act, to animals, to clowns.  Vas and Stas are hilarious!  They kept us laughing any time they showed up on the floor.  Vas is the Ringmasters assistant and Stas is Vas's assistant.  Taba is the animal trainer and wow!  He did a fabulous job.  The whips that he holds never touched the animals, that I could see.  The tigers looked like they were having a good time, like larger versions of my cat when he is playing.  The horses were beautiful, but then I have a soft spot for horses.  The elephants are giant beauties.  My oldests favorite performance was the Fernandez Brothers.  They used "wheels of steel" in their performance.  It was pretty cool!  My youngest hid her face and watched the Danguir Troupe's high wire act through her fingers.  The Negrey Troupe does acrobatics and they all seem to be world class gymnasts.  They were SO fast!  I couldn't capture a picture of them as they were literally a blur on my camera.  It made for a really late night on a school night, but we all had an amazing time!  The two youngest kids were fading fast after the animal acts in the second half.  It was just getting too late for them and they all slept the whole way home.  They are all ready to go and see it again. 

Thursday's Almost Here

I am so looking forward to Thursday and taking the family to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged.  It's been a highly emotional few days, so this down time of fun with the family is much needed!  My kids are so excited and just can't wait to be able to go.  It's been a while since we last attended and I really am looking forward to it.  I'll let you know how the performance is! 

One More Week

Have to say that I am really looking forward to next week and being able to take my kids to see Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged.  My kids can't wait! 

Did you know that you can get up close with some of the animal performers at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Animal Open Open?  This event begins 90 minutes before show time and is FREE to all ticket holders!  So come early and see how the animals live and play.

Did you also know that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has a Center for Elephant Conservation?  The center is not a tourist attraction or used for entertainment.  It is a conservation, research, and retirement facility.  A portion of every show ticket sold goes towards supporting this center.

Here is a little something fun for the kids!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Ticket Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered my contest for the 4 tickets to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged!  I am sorry for the issues some of you had posting your comments.

And the winner is........

#19 - Staci! Congratulations on winning the tickets! Please contact me within the next 48 hours to claim your prize.

For those of you who didn't win - opening night tickets are $10 each (except for the first few rows) and kids tickets are $10 on any night!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Ticket Giveaway!!!

Who wants to go see Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged for free?  That's right, free!  I have a four pack of tickets that I am giving away.

To be entered into this contest you need to answer the following question as a comment to this post. 

• If you cannot get it to post, please email me and I will post a comment for you.  We've had a couple people who couldn't get it to post.

Question - What is the one-wheeled bicycle used by some circus performers called?

A - Tricycle  B - Unicycle  C - Icicle

Contest Rules:

1. You must be 18 years or older to enter.
2. You must be a resident of the Denver Metro area or able to be in the Denver Metro area on the night of Thursday, September 29, 2011.
3. Contest will run from September 13, 2011 at 11:00am - September 14, 2011 at 6:00pm.
4. Contest winner will be chosen using Random.org based off of your comment number.
5. Winner will be announced on my blog September 14, 2011 after 7:00pm.
6. Winner must contact me within 48 hours or they will forfeit the prize.
7. Alternate winner will be selected through Random.org if the winner is unable to attend or fails to claim prize.
8. Prize tickets will be available for pick up at the Will Call window on the night of the show.

Prize Package Includes:  Family Four Pack of Tickets to see Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Fully Charged at the Denver Coliseum on September 29, 2011 at 7pm.

Feld Entertainment is neither a sponsor nor endorser of this promotion.  Feld Entertainment will be providing the prize, however the contest is my own. 

The Circus is Coming!

I have great memories from my childhood of going to the circus with my family.  I grew up in a small farming community.  We had a small circus come through town every year or two, I don't remember how often.  I do remember watching them set up the tent, seeing their animals, and watching the show.  It was something that was looked forward to.  The clowns, the elephants, the high wire and trapeze artists, the cotton candy.  Memories like these are ones that I want to share with my children.

I am a Feld Family Activator, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private pre-Show events. 

Feld Entertainment brings us Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey and they are coming!  This year we get the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged show.  It looks fabulous.  The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents Fully Charged is coming to the Denver Coliseum from September 29th - October 9th.  Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.  Kids tickets are only $10 (restrictions apply, see below flyer) and all tickets are $10 on opening night (again, restrictions do apply)!  I hope to see some of you there.  Stay tuned for next week as I'll be giving away tickets!