The Circus is in Town

June 25th


After an intense week at the Magruder Farm, Roby and I came back to the SLI to help set up for the Chautauqua Circus Event. The institute graciously hosted the 65 member circus on the site for an entire week. Our quiet spot for the tiny house was no longer. As we pulled in hoping to get a good night's sleep before the setup the next day, we were surprised with two large school buses parked on both sides of the tiny house and a makeshift kitchen right next door. Within shouting distance were 25 tents erected under the solar panels. Quiet was not in the picture. We made the best of it and introduced ourselves to the carnies and enjoyed the juggling and trapeze practice. At about 4 am the band quieted down and we were able to go to sleep.

We spent the next day preparing the site for the evening event and then helped with parking the guests. We were able to take a break and watch the last half of the show. It is a vaudeville style circus with jugglers ( The Flying Karamazov Brothers), silk acrobatics, clown comedy, musicians, and singers. They travel together in makeshift buses and caravan for about 2 weeks to small towns putting on their act.

They are based out of Washington and usually pick a different route every year. The group is a takeoff from the original community out of Chautauqua New York. Check out their website www.chautauqua.org

The show started at 7:00 pm and ended about 10:30 pm but the party was just beginning. Circus people know how to live it up. For the next 4 hours the band moved up to the beer garden on the site's upper patio and played an impromptu concert. Many stayed up until 4:30 am to see the Eclipse. Regardless of what time they went to bed, they were all up at 8:30 am getting ready for their next show. They used the SLI site as their base camp and would roll in about midnight each night and proceed to the garden and continue the festivities until 4 every morning. It was our own private seranade!

The group is an unique mix of people ranging from professionals traveling with their children to young struggling musicians. No bearded woman or four legged man in this circus!!

On their last night they held a private show for us called the Bent Show. This is where the performers impersonate one another and try and act out a different role on stage. Some amazingly talented people.

We were such good hosts, they gave Roby and me honorary Chautauqua t-shirts. If we do not find any jobs at year's end, the Circus is our Plan B.