Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, and children of all ages, welcome to the greatest show on Earth. Are you ready to see the most dazzling feats of daring do ever performed before a live audience? Join Ring Master Jonathan Lee Iverson as he introduces acts such as Liina the aerialist, a team of motorcyclists riding inside The Globe of Death, high wire act Meza Troupe, the incredible unicyclists and jugglers of The Faltyny Family, clown act The Steve & Jones Caveagna Family, thrilling and dangerous archery tricks by Martii and Liina, the hula hoop skills of Vlastia Faltyny, and quick-change artists Emelin and Dasha.
California-based Circus Vargas was founded by Clifford E. Vargas in 1969, and at its peak, it operated under a circus tent the size of a football field that required 30 men and seven hours to raise. These days, the circus is a more intimate one-ring European-style affair. They discontinued animal acts in 2010, but the circus appeared in the 2011 film Water for Elephants.
Circus Vargas ends its San Luis Obispo run on Monday, July 14. You can find tickets online at tickets.circusvargas.com/events/26.
This article appears in Jul 10-20, 2025.