Performer Spotlight - The Flying Wallendas

In circus history one name stands alone, the legendary Flying Wallendas. The Flying Wallendas regularly perform around the world at circuses, fairs, festivals and all kinds of special events. They are best known for their amazing high wire skills including pyramids on the wire as well as with bicycles and even adding in a chair.

Did you know a show with the Flying Wallendas can be so much more than high wire?

The Wallendas are well rounded in many of the circus arts including comedy, juggling, cloud swing, and even flying trapeze. They also perform the most death defying type of high wire art, the sky walk. Sky Walks are typically perform at greater heights and distances than your see in the typical high wire act in a circus. Sky Walks are often performed over rivers, gorges, canyons, between sky scrapers or cranes, really the sky is the limit. They make a great opening day or holiday promotional event.

Notable dates in the Wallenda's History:

1780's - the Wallendas were performing in the Austro-Hungarian Empire

1905 - Karl Wallenda was born in Germany

30's & 40's - performing as the Great Wallendas for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey, after a slip before members of the media they were promptly nicknamed sarcasticly, the "Flying Wallendas" and the name stuck to this day.

1944 - The Wallendas were performing in Hartford Connecticut for Ringling Bros. when the infamous great circus fire broke out that killed 168 people, the Wallenda's slid down a rope to safety

1947 - the 7-Person Pyramid was created by Karl Wallenda in Sarasota, Florida

January 30, 1962 - Detroit, Michigan Shrine Circus, the 7-Person Pyramid collapses, 3 men fall to the ground, 2 of them die, one is paralyzed. Karl is injured.

1977 - the 7-Person Pyrmid is re-created by the

grandchildren for a television movie

1978 - Karl Wallenda dies in a fall while attempting a sky walk between hotels in

San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1998 - Triumph, the Flying Wallendas return to the Shrine Circus in Detroit and successfully re-create the 7-Person Pyramid

2001 - An 8 person pyramid is created for Guinness Records and Fox television

The Flying Wallendas can perform as a single person, the 3-person family show, larger family show typically 5 or more people and of course the one of a kind 7-person pyramid show. Shows always include a high wire presentation as well as other acts to suit the buyers needs and budget.

The Flying Wallendas name is an attraction in itself! Well known by the public and the media. In 1978 the move the Great Wallendas starred Lloyd Bridges about the family. Multiple documentaries including the History Channel & most recently TLC. A racehorse was named after them by a fan who witnesses a sky walk at Tallulah Gorge in Georgia. The horse is Wallenda raced by Dogwood Stables, ran in the 1993 Kentucky Derby and won the 1993 Super Derby. Wallenda is now in retirement at Old Friends Equine in Georgetown, Kentucky, where the Wallendas performed a benefit performance in 2008. There have also been countless books including most recently "Walking the Straight & Narrow" by Tino Wallenda. The Americana group the Drive by Truckers released a song this year called the Flying Wallendas as well.
Currently the performing members of the Flying Wallendas are Tino Wallenda, grandson of the late Karl Wallenda, joining him are his son Alex and daughter Aurelia. His wife Olinka assists in the show. Joining them in the extended show is Tino's daughter Alida and her husband Robinson Cortes and their daughter Ysabella. Guest performing artists include clown JP Theron, aerialist and wire walker Sacha Pavlata, sky walker Jade Kindar-Martin, juggler and wire walker Trevor McNabb.

July 2009 Recap

July started out with a bang as it usually does with all the fantastic July 4th events! Best yet the July 4th weekend was the first weekend of the summer season that was without rain! Subfest at the Groton Naval Submarine base was well attended and as always the animal acts were a huge hit. This year the Rosaire's Bears were the hit of the event and crowds were pleased to see that the Bwana Jim Wildlife Show returned for the third year in a row. Bwana Jim and his wife Linda always do a great job making sure they have something new each year for the many events that have them as an annual part of their event. This year they added birds of prey to their show with an owl, a Red Tail Hawk and a Turkey Vulture. I have to admit I have never been a fan of vultures but this one totally changed my opinion of vultures, he sat so calmly and preened his feathers just as nicely as my own pet parrot. Also new to Subfest this year was the Anastasini Family Circus with their fabulous aerial rocket fantasy act as well as Magically Medieval who as been one of my most popular acts this year.

We had a brand new Fourth of July event this year in Stoughton which we were able to bring in rides from North American Amusements on July 3rd for the fireworks portion of the event which was generously sponsored by IKEA. On Saturday the Fourth the event had a Children's Day event in which we brought in Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix as well as Chuckles the Kids Comic. Johnny went over extremely well and was invited back to perform again in 2010. Chuckles had huge lines for his balloon twisting, he also road his Velociped as Uncle Sam, face painted and did some magic tricks, he is truly a one man festival just by himself.

The Whaling City Festival in New Bedford was the second weekend in July were we had dozens of bands on two stages over the weekend. The festival was surprised by two of the best drawing bands were styles of music that they had never before featured, True Witness a Christian Rock family act as well as Buck T. Edwards which was Country. All the artists were very talented and probably the best line up the festival has had. Also appearing at the Whaling City Festival was Magically Medieval which continued to draw a nice family audience. The biggest struggle for the Whaling City Festival this year was the economy, the festival has no admission charge and depends on sponsors to pay for a large portion of the event. The event typically draws between 130,000 to 175,000 people which is just want sponsors are looking for, however sponsorship has really dried up for most events this year. Such a shame for a great event whose goal is to raise money for scholarships for students in New Bedford which is an inner city area.

My brother Jeffrey decided to get married in the height of our busy season (July 12th) which caused us to miss the final day of the Whaling City Festival as well as the Great South Bay Music Festival on Long Island in New York. We booked Eddie Money to play July 12th at the festival, we hated to miss the event but Gordon, myself and our son Justin were all in the wedding party so it couldn't be helped. Gordon also attended Kieran Ridge's wedding prior to Jeffrey's. The Great South Bay Music Festival is in Patchogue, New York and this year was their third year. We heard Eddie was well received and drew great crowds (as always).

July 17th saw two more events open, Barnstable County Fair who booked in Lucky Bob for the run of the fair as well as Eddie Money on July18th. The South County Balloon Festival sponsored by the Wakefield Rotary Club was also this third weekend of July, returning to this hot air balloon event was the Flying Wallenda's and new to the event was Magically Medieval! Magically Medieval's popularity is probably due to the fact that it is brand new, priced right and includes its own stage, sound and lights, big pluses for any type of event. Believe it or not they have never played a Renaissance Faire although it is certainly appropriate for one. Magically Medieval just seems to go over well at any event.

July 24 to the 26th was the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning where we had the Flying Wallenda's perform their famous high wire routine. Aerial acts really seam to go over really well at balloon festivals, they really fit the "up in the air" theme.

Close Encounters of the Exotic Kind (Tigers and Lions) opened up this week for a return engagement at the Bushkill Volunteer Fire Department's Carnival fundraiser. Vince and Pom Pom are really wonderful at what they do, their show is part education and part entertainment and always well received. Big cat acts are a major part of our business, Close Encounters is typically booked solid a testament to the wonderful job they do!

And finally, last but not least the Northern Maine Fair opened today with the Rosaire Zoppe Chimps as the headline animal act of the fair. Best of luck on your opening day up in Presque Isle!

Wow, what a month!