Buoyed by my circus experience at Adventureland in Iowa, when I saw a circus tent go up near my next stay in Colorado, I decided to check it out. “Garden Bros Circus” spelled out in lights promised old-fashioned fun and adventure. Instead, I found a barrage of noise and average performances. And not a little money-grubbing.

Garden Bros Circus

Garden Bros Circus supposedly has been operating for over 100, per their website. They obviously aren’t as famous as Ringling Bros or Cirque du Soleil, and the operation is certainly on a smaller scale. I found this tent set up in an outlet mall parking lot in the outskirts of Denver. I assume that is their usual habitat.

First Impressions

If you time it right, it doesn’t cost too much to attend Garden Bros Circus. There are usually $14.50 pre-sale tickets, and a kid can get in free with each paying adult. Where they get you is all the extras. Food, light-up toys, and pay-to-play games form a gauntlet to navigate before you even reach your seat. I’m not sure how much the games are – there are inflatables and maybe a pony ride – but a small carton of popcorn costs over $10, and toys and other food are similarly overpriced. Plus, vendors of toys and food wander the tent for the entire performance, hoping for more sales. It felt like being on a cheap cruise or flight – nickeled and dimed for any extras and always pressed to upgrade. Good luck keeping your small kids from wanting that toy the 6th or 10th time they pass by.

My Two-Word Review: It’s Loud

If you look at their website, the actual name of the circus is Garden Bros NUCLEAR Circus. Emphasis on the NUCLEAR. Any Googling of the Garden Bros name beyond their own website, and you’ll find a long list of animal-abuse allegations they have faced in years past.

In response, they seem to have removed some of the animal acts (elephants in particular) and amped up the human action. Loud music blares near-constantly while multiple acts perform at a quick pace and sometimes at the same time. It’s a rock ‘n roll circus! A circus rave! But it really comes down to if the circus acts are any good. And here, they’re just okay.

Act 1 – Wheel of Death

Garden Bros Circus arguably starts with its best act right off the top. I’m pretty sure this is only so they can set up the apparatus beforehand and then get it out of the way for the rest of the show. As for pacing, it’s a terrible idea since it’s pretty much downhill from here.

The Wheel of Death is a very tall spinning frame with rings on one or both ends. The circus performer uses his body weight to make it spin and does various acrobatics on the inside AND outside of the ring. I’ve seen this done with two performers at a death-defying pace, and this guy doesn’t disappoint. However, there are several dark-headed teenage boys throughout the show – I could never tell if it was all this same guy or different ones.

Act 2 – Clowning

Next is a clean-up clowning act, with a poor, sad clown come to clean up after the first guy. But he gets distracted by various things, shouted at by a superior, and it all ends fairly and funnily. Both figures in the show come back frequently for the rest of the show.

Act 3 – Aerial Rope & Silks

The next act consists of ladies in the air. The solo spot is on a spinning rope act with three background players on aerial silks, mostly doing their own thing. It’s interesting, bright, and as always, loud, but not particularly remarkable.

Act 4 – Performing Dogs

In a real throwback, the next act is a trainer and his performing poodles. It’s a very quick, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it show, very high energy, trick, trick, trick, then out the door. The dogs are undoubtedly cute and who doesn’t like dogs? But this seems aimed at the youngest visitors.

Act 5 – Clowning Part 2

I’m realizing now that the only quiet parts in the show are when the clowns come out. I should have appreciated them more. In this second act for the pair, they pull various volunteers from the audience to do a sort of musical number, with a planted performer on the drums.

Act 6 – Aerial Straps

Ok, this next act is where I’m not sure if this was the same guy as on the Wheel of Death or not. If so, he’s definitely the star of this circus! This time, the dark-headed teenager takes to the skies via two straps and his impressive biceps.

Act 7 – Kyrgyzstan Horse Riders

The end of the first half of the Garden Bros Circus comes with some impressive riders from Kyrgyzstan. They rode fast in the tight circle of the circus ring, standing up, sitting backward, standing on two horses at once, and accompanied by two women performing their own horse stunts.

During intermission, you are given yet another opportunity to buy food and toys (which is when I found small popcorn costs $10.) Meanwhile in the circus ring, kids line up for a chance to ride around the ring (accompanied) on one of the Kyrgyzstan horses. Astonishingly, this doesn’t seem to cost anything.

Post-Intermission: Act 8 – Human Cannonball

A large part of intermission is also dedicated to blowing up a giant air cushion for the next act—The Human Cannonball. I don’t think it’s much of a feat – more show than skill – and the tent is pretty small. It’s not like he had far to go. But all the same, it’s not something you see every day, and it’s kinda retro fun.

But accompanied by great fanfare (and some dancing girls which have featured in almost every act and interstitial space between), a brave gent is shot out of a cannon and onto the cushion.

Act 9 – Globe of Death

Circuses are fond of “of death” names for their acts, and next up is the Globe of Death. The surprisingly small mesh cage holds up to three riders on motorcycles – dirt bikes, really. One guy would get in and drive around inside, up the walls, even upside down, then be joined by another guy, then another.

And of course, it almost goes without saying that the noise was deafening.

Act 10 – Contortionist

At this point, adding a plain-old contortionist following speeding horses, a human cannonball, and two “of death” acts seems like a letdown, and it is. She was quite good, being extremely flexible on a table as well as in the air. But tonally, it’s not nearly as exciting, no matter how much rock music you turn to 11.

Act 11 – Hair Aerialists (??)

Next up are two ladies who performed their aerial feats by hanging from their hair. I’ll admit, this was impressive, if moderately painful-looking. The highlight seems to be when they sprinkle confetti from their pockets as they spin.

The Finale, Act 12 – Juggling

For the grand finale of the Garden Bros NUCLEAR Circus, we get a juggler. And about half a dozen other acts backing him up, but as a finale goes, it falls pretty flat. The juggler himself was charismatic and juggled various items in impressive numbers. And I’m not at all sure he’s not the same dark-headed teen that performed the Wheel of Death and aerial straps, though I think at least this one is a different guy.

Tickets

If it isn’t obvious already, I can’t really recommend Garden Bros Circus for any modern adult audience. It’s kind of a fun throwback to the sort of experience you might see in old movies, so on the one hand, it feels a little timeless. On the other, it feels like a tacky (and did I mention loud?) overlay to a kind of terrible show run by terrible people. Kids might really get a kick out of it, and parents might really enjoy seeing their kids enjoy the show, but I can’t really recommend it based on the show itself.

And then there’s the price. Like I mentioned, if you catch it early enough, there are a 100 general admission tickets for $14.50 to each show. It’s a small tent, so general admission seats still have a very good view. But once those run out, individual tickets are $30 for adults & $15 for kids 3-13. One kid can get in free for each paying adult, but after that, you’ll need a paying ticket (and make sure to print your kid’s free ticket here.) Ringside tickets cost $60 for adults & $40 for kids, or you can buy a VIP family pack for two adults and two kids for $90. (There’s a preferred seating section right in front and under the human cannon but I don’t see prices for those seats. I bet it’s an upgrade you can buy when you walk in.)

Schedule

I saw them near Denver in September. They seem to be tooling around Florida in November and January (looks like they take December off), then around Atlanta, GA in Feburuary and back out west starting in March. Check their schedule online or look for the tent in your nearest abandoned mall parking lot.