Venardos Circus Arrives To St. Augustine This Wedensday Thru January
- by Joseph Cartolano
- December 16, 2019
- 2490 views
Venardos Circus and its namesake ringmaster Kevin Venardos (veh-NARR-dos) will debut a new cast, show and music in a return to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre for a third seasonal stint beginning in December. There will be 32 shows over three weeks in the intimate redand-white striped tent, set up in the Amphitheatre parking lot, from December 18, 2019 through January 5, 2020.Tickets for this event are on sale now.
The traveling troupe of performers has had successful stints in the St. Augustine/Jacksonville market on three separate visits since January 2018, totaling more than 15,000 attendees over 55 shows, most of which have been sellouts. The upcoming shows are projected to be complete sellouts, including “Holiday Family Packs” for shows on Christmas Day, during Christmas week and on New Year’s Day.
“St. Augustine is the perfect place to debut a new show and display how far we have come since St. Augustine was so responsive and launched our circus into a successful national touring group,” Venardos said. “At the outset, we called ourselves ‘The Little Circus That Could,’ and now we refer to ourselves as ‘the Little Circus That Can.’ The staff at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre has been so hospitable and we thank them and all of St. Johns County and the Jacksonville area for coming to our tent to enjoy these performances.”
Guests can expect to be transported back in time to the center ring of a centuries-old tradition, but one that has been reinvented for the next generation. With an amazing assortment of aerialists, acrobats, juggling, hand-balancing/contortion, comedy, daredevilry, magic, musical production and much more, with no animals, this amazing circus experience will truly delight adults and kids of all ages. Venardos Circus proudly features its own custom-made big-top, a classic red-and-white striped tent, with an intimate feel and limited seating. The circus performers also are the crew in this traveling tour who are completely selfcontained, much like the original circus tradition. A new cast was recruited this fall and will make its debut in St. Augustine where attendees can park for free in the Amphitheatre parking lot and walk a short distance to the tent.
An interactive pre-show party begins one hour before each show time with opportunities to meet the cast, snap selfies and play games. Classic circus treats like popcorn, nachos, fresh-made cotton candy and natural pink lemonade and more are available. The main event lasts approximately 90 minutes, with a brief intermission. Complete show schedule available at www.VenardosCircus.com.
Since departing Northeast Florida last January, the Venardos Circus has been busy traveling and performing from California to the Northwest, through the Midwest and into the Southeastern United States prior to coming to St. Augustine. Dates this fall included Louisville, KY; Lynchburg, VA; Asheville, NC; Evans, GA; and Winter Garden, FL prior to St. Augustine and Miami and three Texas locations in early 2020 through spring.