A family-owned circus boasting an international cast of performers will set up its big top tent in Tysons this fall.
Circus Vazquez launched ticket sales last week for its upcoming stay at Lerner Town Square (8025 Galleria Drive) from Sept. 20 through Oct 7. Promising a brand-new show, the company is in the midst of a national tour that will also include Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge.
The circus last came to Tysons in 2021, when regular visitor Cirque du Soleil was still on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, Cirque du Soleil went to George Mason University’s Eagle Bank Arena instead, though property owner and developer Lerner Enterprises has requested permission to use the parking lot for future shows through 2030.
“This location was chosen because they have a history with it and it has hosted other circus shows there as well,” a Circus Vazquez spokesperson said of the inclusion of Tysons in its tour. “It’s also a prime location for families from different ethnic groups in an around the D.C. Metro and Northern Virginia areas.”
According to a press release, Circus Vazquez is the largest family-owned big top tent circus in the U.S., but it got its start in Mexico, launching as Circo Hermanos Vazquez in 1969.
After touring Mexico and Central America, the circus began performing in the U.S. for the first time in 1993, becoming what was the country’s only traveling Spanish-language circus, according to Texas Observer.
Like other circuses, it has had to adapt in recent years, phasing out the use of wild animals following numerous citations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the death of a tiger in 2008. Circus Vazquez no longer uses animals, relying entirely on human performers, according to the spokesperson.
As reflected in its name change, the circus has also pivoted to presenting in English instead of Spanish over the past few years.
“They decided they wanted to broaden their audience from exclusively the Latino community and felt that by presenting the show in English, they would be able to appeal to a wider demographic,” the spokesperson told FFXnow. “The move has been received positively and the audiences are definitely more diverse than they were before the change was made.”
Even with those changes, though, Circus Vazquez has retained its family-oriented spirit. It’s now managed by five Vazquez brothers, the third generation of their family to run the circus, and their children are among the performers, including juggler Jose Alberto Vazquez and siblings Jan and Carolina Vazquez with a rolla bolla act.
Here’s more from the press release on the cast for the current show, which brings together performers from around the world:
Boris Nikishkin, from Russia, has been entertaining and amusing audiences since he was four years old, and now this award-winning clown, comedian and acrobat will make his American debut, a long-held dream of his. Hailing from Guinea, Africa, the Bone Breakers quartet present unbelievable body-bending flexibility unlike anything you’ve ever seen! Columbia’s Duo Vanegas, Ricardo and Alejandro, are daredevils who defy gravity on the Wheel of Wonder, a rotating device reaching over 30 feet in height in one of the most thrilling of all circus acts. Featuring Olympian Natalia Kapitonova, the Liazeed Angels are a unique troupe of athletes that bring high-quality gymnastics to the circus ring in their Circus Vazquez debut. Duo Marruffo from Brazil present an athletic display of handbalancing and strength. From Kiev, Ukraine, Bingo Troupe present a distinct high-energy mix of dance and acrobatic performances.
After each show, audience members get a chance to meet and take photos with some of the stars.
Tickets can be purchased online at a discount, though they will also be available to buy in-person at the box office, starting on opening day.
