![I had gone to Ringling Bros and Barnum and Baily Circus a few years ago. I don’t know if it was the fact that our memories are very different as adults then as children, or if the circus itself just hit on hard times, but it was awful. There was […]](https://www.stevenjshaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Jack_Circus-620x250.jpg "Jack’s First Circus")
I had gone to Ringling Bros and Barnum and Baily Circus a few years ago. I don’t know if it was the fact that our memories are very different as adults then as children, or if the circus itself just hit on hard times, but it was awful. There was some terrible story line about a family and a little girl and flying and other nonsense. The acting was terrible, they did these little skits all through the performance and it generally was just painful to watch. Then… the cats came out. CATS! House cats! Not lions. Not tigers. Not even a panther. HOUSE CATS! A whole performance with cats. I wept for my future children that this was what they had to look forward to.
Fast forward to 2011. We decided to take Jack to the circus for the first time. But, rather than go into Manhattan for Ringling Bros, we decided to start small at the Westchester County Center in White Plains for the Royal Hanneford Circud. I was not expecting much, but I thought he might enjoy it.
WOW! Was I impressed. The venue is small so everyone is close to the action and they had a lot of great performers. So much better than Ringling Bros!
How did Jack like it? He enjoyed himself. He really liked the animal acts. He liked the ATV stunt guys. He was so so on the juggling and trapeze stuff. Was not a fan of the other stuff. But, all in all he had a lot of fun. They even had a human cannon ball. Jack claimed this was his favorite part.
As this was not only his first circus, but his first live event, I think we all faired very well. I would definitely go back.
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