Over the weekend our family attended the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. We have lived in the Atlanta area for almost 6.5 years and this was our first year heading to the Gwinnett Center. Ohmygosh, it is a very cool place and getting there is much easier than getting to Philips Arena (for our family). Plus, you don’t have to pay to park at the Gwinnett Center and that is always a huge perk when making a venue decision. I liked saving $10!
The theme of the circus is Dragons, and that were robotic, car-like dragons that were driven on the blacktop several times. I assume that there was a story being told, but no one in our family could understand the emcee of the circus. We caught every 20th word or so. But it’s all good because we were there for the acts and not a story.
The big cats at the circus are always amazing to watch. My girl asked how much people in the circus make, and I went on record and said that the lion tamer makes more than the clowns. Rrright? Doesn’t that sound just about right? I hope so! The cats were amazing and so beautiful.
One of my favorite acts was the girls in the bubbles. The did acrobatic moves in the air while holding on to those bubbles. It was very Cirque like and I definitely wanted more!
It seems absolutely crazy that my favorite event in the entire circus was the motorcycle riders in the giant, steel, sphere. When they went in the first time it was crazy that there were four adults on motorcycles in there….then they went to five…and six…..and seven…..and eight! I sat there with my mouth open during this act. My second favorite act was the dogs. They are smart and talented! One of my local friends posted on Facebook that she had been to see Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus as well and her favorite acts were also the motorcycles and the dogs.
At the end of the show we were able to see the elephants do some tricks too. I don’t know if this is true for every showing or every day of the week, but we were stopped right in front of protestors on our way into the Arena to park. While their signs were kid friendly, they were also….kid friendly. My child who can read certainly had a lot of questions. So, this is one of those know before you go facts that I am sharing with you.
If you are planning on attending the circus and you don’t want to spend a ton of money out of pocket while you are there be sure to eat before hand (the show is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with a 15 minute intermission) to avoid purchasing venue food. Souvenirs are definitely expensive. Our family always stops at The Dollar Store to get glow necklaces and wands for only $1.00 each instead of the exorbitant prices at the event. That has worked well for us so far.
One other tip I have regards the noise level. The circus is noisy. If you have a child who is sensitive to loud sounds (like I do), then consider buying or borrowing Noise Reduction Earmuffs. We have used these for several live performances and they make my daughter release her hands from her ears.
Disclaimer: I received complimentary tickets to see the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus. All opinions are completely honest and my own.
There are many fun things to do in Atlanta. Check out our recent posts about Activities in Atlanta for more suggestions and ideas.
Leandrea is a married mom of two girls, ages 13 and 12, living in Atlanta, GA. She is passionate about helping people save money one coupon at a time. Read more