A popular traveling circus is getting ready to set up their big top in Brooklyn for the first time ever.
After runs in Queens and the Bronx, Flip Circus is setting up shop in McCarren Park for a ten-day run of unforgettable performances starting on Dec. 1.
Flip was created during the pandemic by the Vazquez family — which has operated circus performances across the globe for more than 50 years. More than four generations after the family first entered the industry, it has brought circus performances all across North and South America, with an emphasis on international acts.
The all-new show, which debuted last year, aims to continue the legacy of the Vazquez family as well as introduce circus entertainment to even more guests.
“Flip was created by the imagination of the Vazquez family back in the pandemic, so we like to call it the pandemic baby,” said Alexa Vazquez, a Flip Circus administrator. “The Vazquez family has been part of the industry for over 50 years and their main audience is Hispanic, so what we really wanted to do with Flip was to cross over where it’s more for the American side, not necessarily just for the Americans, but for everyone.”
Performers hail from all around the globe — like twin comedians Stiv and Roni Bello from Italy, the Bingo Troupe from Ukraine, Colombia’s Duo Vanegas acrobats and more.
Ringmaster Arthur Figueroa who will lead the acts and delight the audiences with tricks of his own, and Carolina Vazquez — a member of the founding Vazquez family — will swing overhead on a single trapeze while the Flip Circus Orchestra adds a live musical element to the fun.
The traditional red and white striped big top tent, which seats about 800 people, is currently being constructed in McCarren Park. No seat in the tent is more than 50 feet away from the ring to ensure that all audience members get the most inclusive and interactive experience possible.
“I’m so excited to see the community come together and see something that’s very unique for a show,” said Vazquez. “The tent has something very special, a sort of magic sensation. We’ve been to a lot of new places where people don’t really know Flip and now they make it a tradition to go.”