Last week my family and I had the opportunity to attend opening night of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Circus XTREME at NRG Stadium. I can honestly say that it was the best family night we’ve had in a long time! It was also our first time to go to a circus.
Since it was our first time, we decided to get there as early as possible. We arrived at 5:15 p.m. The gates did not open until 6 p.m., but it was worth the wait because we got a close parking space. Once inside, we were escorted to the animal open house. We saw tigers, camels, horses and snakes. My 3-year-old daughter really enjoyed this aspect of the circus experience. Being able to see all of the magnificent animals up close was amazing.
After seeing the animals, we headed over to the pre-show which started at 6:30 p.m. There were two rings with performances going on in each. In one ring there was a clown act and in the other ring a performer with miniature horses. We met several clowns and performers, got autographs and took photos of them. You could also take a photo with them if you wish.
After visiting with the performers, we had the opportunity to try on costumes and my daughter got a FREE temporary tattoo.
We entered a contest for a chance to win Chick-Fila sandwiches for a year if we correctly guessed how many cows were in the container. We didn’t win, but we had fun trying to figure it out! After guessing we received a FREE clown nose to wear the rest of the evening.
As we made our way back up to the seating area, we passed areas with souvenirs and light-up toys. Since it was our first time I let my daughter pick out a light-up spinning toy.
She was so excited. We had 20 minutes before the show started, so we decided to grab a quick bite to eat. The concessions had the usual pizza, burgers, hot dogs, fries and chicken tenders. We grabbed some hot dogs, chili-cheese fries and two sodas. We purchased the souvenir cups for $10 since they offered unlimited refills.
After we ate, my daughter asked to get her face painted. She has never had this done before, so I was confused. In fact, I had not even seen a face painting area. As we were headed back to our seats, she spotted the face painting booth and pointed it out to us. I noticed there were only a few children ahead of us so we waited. She decided she wanted a pink tiger face. I was worried she wouldn’t sit still, but she did a great job. It turned out really cute and the face painter was very nice and friendly.
After she looked in the mirror, we hurried back to our seats. The show was about to start. We had so much fun the past 1 ½ hours, that I couldn’t imagine having more fun! The opening to the show was absolutely magical. There was so much to look at – bright colors, lights, and movement everywhere. For a moment, you had no idea where to look. So much was happening at one time. I looked over at my daughter and saw the excitement in her eyes and the big smile on her face and I just knew she was having the best time.
Throughout the show, the Ringmaster David Shipman took us on an exciting adventure with his antics and catchy songs as we searched high and low for the most extreme circus talent. My favorite acts of the evening included “The Human Cannonball,” “Bungee Skydivers,” “Mighty Ibarra & the Wheel of Steel,” and the “Danguir High-Wire Troupe”. These incredible acts kept us on the edge of our seats. There were a few times we caught ourselves gasping, especially during the “Wheel of Steel” and the “Danguir High-Wire Troupe” acts. My daughter’s favorite acts included Taba and his 16 tigers, Alex & Irina’s funny poodles, and the mesmerizing mermaids suspended from the ceiling.
During the show, staff members walked around selling snow cones, cotton candy and lemonade. This ensured that you didn’t have to get up and leave your seat to get a snack. Other extreme acts included: an “Xtreme Sports” display complete with BMX riders, parkour performers, trampoline daredevils and gymnastics tricks, a “Caravan of Camels” which featured twin-humped Bactrian camels, and the “Mongolian Marvels” which consisted of strong men lifting and carrying very heavy objects.
We were sad to see the show come to an end, but we had a great time and made wonderful memories. We look forward to visiting the circus again next year when it comes back to Houston. If you plan on attending the Greatest Show on Earth® I recommend arriving as early as possible (1 ½ hours prior to show time) to attend the animal open house and pre-show. Performances are scheduled from Thursday, July 14 through Sunday, July 31. Find a date for your family to attend, and all of the details here.
I received complimentary tickets – all opinions are my own.
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