Near the OC Fair’s Green Gate, The Flying Royals jump through hoops — literally — to entertain passing people from within the boundaries of their 360-square-foot space.
The Ventura-based trapeze group almost didn’t make the lineup of entertainment for this year’s fair, said April Chodkowski, a troupe performer who also serves as the announcer. She peppered the entertainment director with requests to perform for 18 months, she said, not taking no for an answer even when told there wasn’t the space for the act.
“When she wrote me back, and was like, ‘We just don’t have the space, we don’t have the space.’ I was like, ‘Come on, you’ve got to have the space!’ And she said, ‘Well we have 60-by-60,’ and I said, ‘We’ll make it work,’” Chodkowski said.
And they are, drawing crowds for their performances featuring acrobatics and aerial feats.
First-time performers The Flying Royals are just one of the many acts at the OC Fair providing free live entertainment throughout each day. A variety of acts, both new and returning, offer a mix of entertainment to appeal to a wide audience and highlight the community, said Terry Moore, spokesperson for the OC Fair & Event Center, which is hosting the fair through Aug. 13 – it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
“We are an epicenter of community here and we want to bring people together. We want to have the best parties this summer, we want everyone to find something for them,” Moore said. “We always try and program it so there’s something for everyone at the OC Fair. It’s not easy, but it’s fun to do it.”
In their 60-by-60-foot performance area, The Flying Royals are using a simple two-post rig for their aerial acrobatics and hoops and props for their energetic performance that also features a performer free-falling from high above, juggling and trapeze skills.
In the group’s experience, it can be difficult to get an audience to sit through a 30-minute show, Chodkowski…
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