Circus Vargas, one of the world’s largest traveling circuses that still utilizes a big top tent, visited Arcadia from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3 and brought a slew of stunning performances with them. An American traveling circus based in California, Circus Vargas returned to Santa Anita Park to perform its 2025 production-“Hollywood Dreams, An Homage to Tinseltown’s Golden Age!”-and hold a Wildfire Relief Fundraising Event. The circus donated to veterans and first responders as well as numerous children’s charities and nonprofits.

Circus Vargas relies exclusively on human performers: jugglers, acrobats, trapeze artists, stunt people, dancers, comedians, and magicians. One act saw a razor-sharp dagger on an arrow shot by a professional archer backwards, and pinned the small item held in his partner’s hand to the target board.

For the whole show, the entertaining character Stevie, complete with a spiky haircut and groovy outfit, was the fuel for lots of laughter. He took the stage during intermissions to keep the audience engaged in his comedy as the circus performers set up for the next acts. He brought in some volunteers from the audience to do some shenanigans with him, like riding an invisible motorcycle, and even made a child believe he caught something that fell from the roof.

The show concluded with four motorcyclists who rode at breakneck speeds in a giant metal sphere.

Freshman Tara Ingale said, “I love watching live circus performances because with the added knowledge of knowing they’re happening in real time, it feels so much more exciting.”

Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson was the host for Circus Vargas, balancing the whimsy and storyline of the show, following the theme of Hollywood dreams. As he sang musical numbers with dancers, he explained how Circus Vargas maintained the magic of shows with Hollywood.

After the show, one of the motorcyclists from the final act shared, “I think it’s the riskiness of it all. The adrenaline you get from being in front of huge crowds and then doing stunts that test human ability at the same time is just the best thing ever!”

All in all, Circus Vargas’ return to Arcadia was met with an enthusiastic crowd. They provided a nostalgic big-tent circus experience, performed a variety of acts, and supported local causes.