Have you ever dreamed of running away and joining the circus? Well, we got as close to that Friday night when a group of couples went down to Circus Flora’s annual charity gala, Circo Diablo. I had procured some tickets to the gala and it was great fun eating and drinking like respectable adults. It’s not often that we wine and dine in an atmosphere that required us to restrain ourselves. The girls pulled out some fabulous dresses and the guys dusted off their dress shoes for an evening out under the big top.
The evening started off with food from some local restaurants: Modesto, Onesto, Vito’s, Triumph Grill and Kota. Wine was available from St. James Winery and Chaumette Winery, along with beer and some other drinks.
Once everyone was satiated, we were directed under the big top for the live auction and show.
I’ve been to a couple of charity auctions and this was big-time money. There was an apartment in Paris for a week, I bid on it (I was willing to pay $1,000 for it) but it got too pricey for my blood (I think it went for $4,000). There were some circus packages (trapeze lesson, dog tricks, and equestrian show) as well as a couple of vacation packages.
Now, came the show. The patrons got a taste of Circus Flora’s show, Ingenioso, a Spanish-themed show based on Don Quixote.
There were trained horses:
A hoop contortionist:
An amazing acrobatic pair:
A man wielding a whip:
A half-naked man on a horse:
I have never been to Circus Flora and now, after this experience, I’m going to have to check it out. The amazing thing about this show is that the furthest seats away from the ring is still pretty damn good.
Watching the talented performers made us realize that while we don’t have what it takes to join the circus, we definitely have what it takes to enjoy the circus.
Thanks for the quintuple date, guys! Let’s hope we can do this again next year!