FOLSOM—The sight of the iconic striped tent rising along East Bidwell Street this week means only one thing: Circus Vargas is back in Folsom. On Tuesday morning, a small army of workers assembled the massive big top and hoisted it skyward, officially setting the stage for the circus’s run in the city. The beloved traveling show returns with its dazzling new production, “Hollywood Dreams,” for performances beginning Thursday September 25 and running through October 6 near the corner of Oak Avenue Parkway and East Bidwell Street, beside Lakeside Church.
The return of Circus Vargas has become one of Folsom’s most anticipated family traditions, and this year’s show is bigger and brighter than ever. Hollywood Dreams pays tribute to the golden age of Tinseltown, transforming the big top into a glittering stage of red carpets, spotlights, and blockbuster thrills. For two hours, audiences will be treated to aerial artistry, comedy, daredevil stunts, and theatrical magic that celebrates the glamour and excitement of Hollywood’s heyday.
Leading the way as the big top opens in Folsom is Johnathan Lee Iverson, the celebrated ringmaster and performance director of Circus Vargas. Classically trained as an opera singer and actor, Iverson’s deep, resonant voice and commanding presence elevate the production from the moment the lights dim and the show begins. A New York native, he began his career as a member of The Boys Choir of Harlem, sharing the stage with legendary artists including Stevie Wonder, Lena Horne, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, and Luciano Pavarotti, as well as performing before world leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Colin Powell, and four U.S. presidents.
Iverson made history in 1998 when, at just 22 years old, he became both the youngest and the first African American ringmaster of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. He remained in that role until the circus closed in 2017, becoming the last ringmaster in its 146-year history. Recognized for his powerful voice and star presence, Iverson has been named one of Barbara Walters’ “10 Most Fascinating People” and even been featured twice as a trivia question on the game show Jeopardy!
As Iverson shared with Folsom Times Tuesday as the big top was rising, the return to Folsom is one he always looks forward to. “Circus Vargas is always anxious to get back to the great city of Folsom,” he said. “The presence and energy of the Folsom audience is truly second to none. The community itself is so very welcoming, from the great parishioners at Lakeside Church to the amazing staff at In-Shape Family Fitness, it feels like home. My only regret is that our engagement isn’t longer.”
But Iverson is just one of the many talents audiences will enjoy under the Folsom big top this week. Alongside him is an international cast of aerialists, acrobats, daredevils, comedians, and specialty performers who bring the dazzling theme of Hollywood Dreams to life. Among the lineup is Liina, whose aerial artistry blends elegance with daring, the heart-racing Globe of Death, and the Meza Troupe with their high-wire excellence. The Faltyny’s amaze with both unicycle and juggling routines, while internationally famous clowns Steve and Jones Caveagna bring laughter in true circus tradition. Martii and Liina thrill with an archery act that keeps audiences on edge, Vlastia captivates with her mesmerizing hoola hoop skills, and Emelin and Dasha astonish with quick-change artistry performed in the blink of an eye.
Circus Vargas is proud to be an entirely animal-free production, highlighting the talent, athleticism, and artistry of its performers while honoring circus traditions in a modern, family-friendly way. For years, the empty lot by Lakeside Church has transformed each fall into a world of lights, music, and laughter as Circus Vargas makes its stop in Folsom, turning the performance into a local tradition for families.
Audiences in Folsom may remember that last year’s engagement proved so popular that the circus extended its stay to meet ticket demand. With excitement already building this week as the tent rises, organizers encourage families to secure tickets early for this limited run.
Circus Vargas itself has a long and storied history. Clifford E. Vargas (1924–1989) founded the circus in 1969, inspired by his childhood fascination with the glamour and thrills of the big top. Growing up on a farm near Livermore, the son of Portuguese immigrants, Vargas never missed the traveling circuses that came to town. After working as a ticket seller, doorman, and later ringmaster in Chicago, he saved enough to buy into the Miller-Johnson Circus in 1972. What began as a modest operation grew rapidly, eventually boasting the largest circus tent in the world—the size of a football field—which took thirty men seven hours to raise.
Following Vargas’s death in 1989, management passed to longtime colleagues Jack Bailey and Joseph Muscarello, then later to Roland Kaiser. Rising costs eventually pushed Circus Vargas into a new format, a more intimate European-style one-ring circus. In 2005, Katya Arata Quiroga and her husband Nelson Quiroga took over the production, continuing the tradition and reinventing it for a new era. By 2010, they officially discontinued all animal acts, cementing Circus Vargas as a people-powered spectacle of artistry and talent. Today, the Quiroga family still owns and operates the circus, with Katya and Nelson’s three daughters also performing in the show.
Tickets for Circus Vargas in Folsom are on sale now with full showtimes listed at www.circusvargas.com. Pricing varies by seating location, giving guests the chance to tailor their experience under the big top. VIP Experience seating ranges from $85 to $75, Ringside Reserved seats are $70 to $60, Arena Front is $55 to $45, Arena Side is $45 to $35, and Back Arena seating is $35 to $25. Children under 2 are free if seated on a parent’s lap, while children ages 2 to 10 qualify for child pricing. Guests ages 11 and over require an adult ticket, and seniors 60 and older are eligible for discounted senior pricing.
The red carpet may be hundreds of miles away in Los Angeles, but for the next two weeks, Hollywood’s golden age will shine brightest under the big top in Folsom.
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