New Tent Circus In Town Capitola Ca Near Santa Cruz

[Terry Monohan]

This week while going by the Capitola Mall in Capitola CA near Santa Cruz we noticed a huge circus tent going up in the parking lot. Also saw plenty of vans and stage tech trucks parked around the tent area.

For the first time in Santa Cruz a new traveling tent circus will be set up for shows this weekend Aug 26/28.. It's called The Flynn Creek Circus® from up in Mendocino CA.

Someone showed me around last Wed as they were setting up the lights and sound This new to the area circus even has live music. No animals or clowns . A big stage with wrap around seating.. Will go today to the 1 PM matinee with friends and check the event out.

I thought the prices were a little steep for kids or family's to attend but this is not a cheap type circus from the looks of things. It's a two hour show. They even have a adult show in the eve? They serve circus food along with beer & wine.

What is so strange they have done no pre advertising this week in the papers in Santa Cruz or free newspapers like the weekly Good Times® or SLV Banner®.. They gave me some small flyers to hand out that I took and the art work is not that of a traditional circus.

Many years ago we had in the SF Bay Area the lame tent Circus Vargas or Circus Chirma from Mexico come thru the many malls in Northern CA for a fast weekend performance. At least they flooded the market with TV advertising, flyers and posters. This new Flynn Creek Circus seems a little fancier circus tent event but no Cirque® Las Vegas type show. The only way you know they are set up in Capitola this weekend is to drive by the large Capitola Mall and see the giant red tent set up. One thing that is nice during the day performances the inside stays a very dark blue. Will make the LED lights look good during the day. The weather will be nice this weekend not to hot.


It will be interesting to see If anyone goes with no advertising around the area. As the kids are back in school Summer is almost gone but the large Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is still open with limited ride hours daily till Labor Day..

I remember when I was a kid in the 1950's / 60's the great Shrine Polack Bros Circus® out of Chicago came thru Northern Ca yearly with a great big arena indoor type 3 ring circus with a ton of animals that even played at the indoor Santa Cruz Auditorium downtown Santa Cruz just a few blocks from the beach. Same with Ringling Bros Circus® indoor show but they never played the small towns like Santa Cruz Ca.

Maybe next year If they come back to Capitola I could come out of TV/movie theatre retirement and be there pre ad man to get the word out?

Good luck to the Flynn Creek Circus this weekend for the fist time. Hope we are not the only ones in the seats. See you at the circus!

[Terry Monohan]

Well we saw the Flynn Creek Circus today at 1 PM with about a 75% filled tent with not much advertising. I guess they did have a small event listing in last weeks Good Times Mag I never saw It. Some things we liked others not so good.

The worst was the live music 3 piece sound group. I felt so sorry for the many little children at the 1 PM show today, most had to hold and plug up their ears as the music was way to load for them. The adults drinking beer could care less.

Some daylight did come into the tent so the LED lights were not that effective for a daytime performance.

You can forget colorful nice costumes ( No Ringling Bros) during the 4 sets except the tired bird number. Most of the same entertainers appear in the whole show. On the circle stage they just have on street clothes . No fast change of outfits when each number is on.

When you come into the tent at the opening before the show most of the stage artists do have a nice classic circus type outfit on while they all try to sell you things to eat or purchase like a lame program for $8. A family with kids will spend a small fortune on snacks for their group. The circus has so many different price type seats It may take some time to even read the small print for tickets sign at the outside gypsy type box office wagon like from the old Laurel & Hardy movie.

Someone needs to repaint the rust stained white park metal benches, they are very hard on your back, bring a pillow with you. Best to get just a folding chair.

The few high rope acts are nice but again look flat with boring brown or other flat colors. No flashy glow or beaded circus costumes used here. They must not have a costume design team.

Flynn Creek Circus say they don't have clowns but they do have the best person in the show with a suitcase that does a very good job with his many fun acts and does have a nice outfit on

The guys from France on the juggler team do a fine performance and did not drop a thing.

I was wrong the circus did come to a town near Capitola in 2018 Scotts Valley CA.

The floating red balloons used in parts of the circus gave some color to this tent show and the lady with the huge white balloon was great. She got the most applause.

Maybe I will go again next year and see If they make any changes in 2023. I will send them some suggestions.

[Mike Blakesley]

I remember a low-rent tent circus coming to our town when I was a kid. It was called the "Barnes and Bailey" Circus, in a blatant attempt to cash in on the similar big-name brand.

I don't remember much about it but I remember not being very impressed.

I can't image a circus without SOME kind of spangle on the performers. That's half of the appeal of the show, really -- the looks of it.

[Harold Hallikainen]

It has got to be terribly expensive to do a traveling show like that. A great book about life in the circus is Water For Elephants ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_for_Elephants ).