LAC LA BICHE - It isn’t every day that the circus comes to town, but when it does, it’s cause for celebration.
Last Saturday, local children and their families were treated to a celebration as Circus Wonderland brought their one-ring circus to the Bold Centre.
The afternoon of amusement featured a vibrantly colourful ring complete with a backdrop of inflatable castles, mushrooms, flowers, and storybook characters themed in the style of the Alice In Wonderland world. There was never a dull moment as the performers wowed the audience with various displays of showmanship and acrobatic theatre, including one artist who exhibited a near flawless ability to perfectly balance herself on rollers and boards while spinning hula hoops.
In keeping with the travelling Alice in Wonderland theme, Alice herself made an appearance to the delight of the kids, along with a particularly angry Mad Hatter and a very comical, trumpet -playing mouse whose buffoonish antics whipped the crowd into a frenzy of laughter and clapping. And what would any circus be without those traditional staples such as cotton candy, popcorn, and peanuts, which were handed out during the show.
Travelling show
The Circus Wonderland company stop in Lac La Biche is part of a busy schedule of performances for the Oklahoma-based troupe. The Lac La Biche show was one of 20 performances scheduled across Alberta in June. The circus was in Two Hills the day before Lac La Biche, and in Boyle two days before.
The show has criss-crossed the US and Western Canada in recent weeks, performing in more than 70 communities. Since the middle of April the Wonderland performers have been in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, New England, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota... and even up to Yellowknife. The show moved onto Smoky Lake on Sunday afternoon, then Fort Saskatchewan on Monday and Camrose on Tuesday. They wrap up the month in Drayton Valley on June 30.
