Circus & Specialty Acts
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About Garden Brothers Circus
Garden Brothers Circus on Tour
You don’t become North America’s longest-running circus troupe by resting on your laurels, and for its 2021 extravaganza, the Garden Brothers Circus stages its most extreme, over-the-top show ever. Garden Brothers Nuclear Circus: Humans Gone Wild features such breathtaking feats as the “Human Slingshot,” “Motorcycles in the Sphere of Fear,” and the infamous “Wheel of Death” (a massive, vertically rotating structure on which acrobats perform death-defying stunts). But it’s not just humans going wild in this show - the Olate Performing Dogs (as seen on America’s Got Talent) will also make an appearance. And of course, it wouldn’t be a Garden Brothers Circus without such classic carnival attractions as jugglers, trapeze artists and a demonstration from the world’s strongest man. Bring the kids early to meet the performers, get face-painted like a superhero and take a ride down the Monster Slide.
Garden Brothers Background
America had the Ringling Bros., and Canada had the Garden Brothers. Both began as small family businesses before setting the gold standard for big-top entertainment in the 20th century. But with the Ringlings’ circus leaving town for good in 2017, the Garden Brothers now stand as North America’s longest-running carnival revue. Its roots date back to the 1920s, when Scottish emigré William Garden and his wife Jean began touring as a song-and-dance act called Garden & Shaw, sowing the seeds for the official launch of the Garden Bros. Circus in 1938. After William passed away in 1954, his Montreal-based sons Ian and Bill assumed control of the operation and turned it into a touring juggernaut, with Ian playing double duty as animal trainer and ringmaster, while his wife Micheline oversaw the technical aspects. After three successful decades at the helm, the couple passed down the reins to their children Richard and Ian Jr., who eventually handed them off to a cousin, ensuring that the Garden Bros. Circus has remained in the family after a century of spectacles.
This was a fun night. Small enough to be intimate, a nice change from the crazy huge circuses. And it is clearly family based and the troupe worked hard to make us smile. It was an easy task in the end. Go support these good people.
The overall experience was fun. My youngest was thrilled. There were several really cool acts, but it felt like something was missing. They advertise a big show with elephants and camels and tons of crazy acts, but they only had a couple horses, two camels, and some trained dogs. Oh- they did have a (random) zebra. The tricks they performed were decent. Overall it wasn't bad and the cost for front row, center stage tickets was not too outlandish. Everything else was insanely overpriced. All food, souvenirs, and extra activities were ridiculously prices. $15 for face painting, and they reuse the same sponges and brushes on everyone.
