Loie lifted the edge of the Zoppe Family Circus tent being pitched at the base of Fanny Hill in Snowmass and peeked inside. She and Howard got tickets and we joined them under the big top for the final performance of the day.  After our tour of Snowmass and Aspen, the four of us joined a crowd of almost 500 gathered at the bottom of the steps to the big top. Nino, the clown and ringmaster, entertained the crowd until show time.

No pyrotechnics, no elephants, lions, tigers or bears, this family circus has been entertaining villages in Europe for seven generations with feats of strength, high wire acts and comedy.

Rows of white and red boards were banded and stacked together to create the bleachers. Place your foot on the bottom, get your balance and climb. With arms away from our bodies, swaying back and forth, getting to our seats without falling through to the ground was a feat in itself. Nino pulled children and adults to be part of his act to the delight of their families, performers sailed through the air, juggled, balanced atop cylinders, planks, each other’s shoulders while small dogs and a pony raced around the center ring jumping through, around and over obstacles.

Good old fashion fun.

http://www.gosnowmass.com/event/zoppe-family-circus/