Monday, August 20, 2001

Since the Ringling Brothers circus never came to Austin this year, we were very happy to see posters on poles and then a circus tent for Circo Hermanos Vazquez, in town for the first time ever, for four days, with shows at 7 and 9 p.m. on Thursday and Monday, and an added 5 p.m. show on Saturday and Sunday. I heard two commercials on 1490-AM and that was about it. The tent was new and even in the 95-degree heat, the show brought in a full house. The tickets were at two prices--ringside was five dollars more than bleachers. The bleachers were red metal frames with boards lashed to them with nylon cords. The aisles, such as they were, formed where the boards made it uncomfortable to sit. Refreshments were raspas, cacuahuates, and palomitas. The acts were great, and the owners came out to introduce themselves once the show was over. During the intermission, people had Polaroids taken of them seated in a folding chair, accompanied by a potted palm, and with a large serpiente of some sort draped around their necks and over their shoulders. The first takers were mothers with small boys, and all the others seemed to be mothers with small girls. Where were the fathers?