The circus came to town
The Record recently happened upon photographs of a circus that came to Sherbrooke in the summer of 1986. It is believed to be the Circus Vargas, a circus established in Hollywood, California, that came to perform in the driveway of the Carrefour de l’estrie shopping mall in August of 1986.
At the time, the Circus Vargas possessed the largest big-top in the world and it was also the largest travelling tent circus in the world. With their tent measuring
300 by 150 feet, as large as a football field, the circus made its way into the Guiness Book of World Records. The circus was on a world-wide Canadian tour when it made its way to Sherbrooke. It brought something different to the area than the Cirque de Soleil, which Sherbrooke had become very familiar with. Like the Cirque de Soleil, the Circus Vargas had acrobatics but they also had clowns, horses, tigers, camels, lamas, and elephants. Their show consisted of over 400 performers, animals and people from all over the world, and it was two hours and 15 minutes long. There were preview activities held the week before the show, such as juggling demonstrations and clown make-up trials for kids, and there was also a costume contest held for the employees who worked at the Carrefour.
The Circus Vargas continues to perform and travel the world, without animal acts since 2010, and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Do you have any memories of the circus coming to town? If so, share your story and experience with us at newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com.