Circus Fun with Mom Central

Be sure to click on all the pictures to get a closer look.

What an eventful Thursday night at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performance held in Baltimore, MD at the 1st Mariner Arena. This wonderful experience was made possible by Mom Central and Feld Entertainment. (How's that for a little linky love?)

Pictured on the left are Me (Keonte') and my son. Pictured on the right are Tamara and her daughter. Thanks to the nice gentleman who volunteered to take our picture (Never did get your name). I am usually a 10-second-timer picture-taker myself, but this worked out much better.




It was such a rainy day in Maryland. Normally you would catch me kicking and screaming to get out of my pajamas, take a shower, get dressed, and actually leave the house in weather like this. However, I am still a big kid at heart, so there was no way I was going to miss Over The Top. Here is picture of the crew braving the rain. Check out the looks on their face. Not sure if it's because of the rain, or the fact that I am always taking pictures of them. Hmmmmm?!


Upon arrival at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore, we went on a unnecessary search for the special Mom Central/Feld Entertainment events. We left the house on time, but the rainy conditions cause major back-ups on I-97, and you know how that story goes.



After a few walks around the building, and several attempts to retrieve proper directions from the useless customer service representatives, we found Waldo. Well, maybe it wasn't Waldo whom we were attempting to locate, but I think we may have spotted a few circus-goers with similar hats. Case in point:

<----------------Check her out. Can you believe this hat came with it's very own Cotton Candy?

Once we were let behind the 'secret ropes' and the ramp leading to the events, we knew there would be fun for the remainder of the night. I checked in, signed my name, accepted a goodie bag (filled with a coloring book, a program of the show, and tons of clown noses) and was handed my 4 FREE tickets. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

We headed over to the snack table. There were chips and drinks of sorts. You know circus treats. There were children of all ages sitting at tables, chasing their sibling(s), waiting impatiently, and others nestled in the corner because they were simply, too cool. -------------------------------------------->


We took photos with a few of the performers during a special 'Meet & Greet'. Here we are with some of the performers from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus:

Then, it was time for the All-Access Pre-show where all ticket holders were invited to an hour of a 'behind-the-scenes' type of ordeal. I would have to say this is as great, if not better, than the actual show. The children were sort of confused as to how they were able to go on the circus stage. They were like two,odd groupies at a rock concert who wanted to be there, but didn't know what to expect.

We even got in on all the action:

Notice Beyonce's "Get Me Bodied" playing in the background. Love it!

Here's a look at our All-Access Pre-show fun:

Kelly the Elephant

Watching the Goats and Trying on Coats

Mommies on Motorcycles


Silly Clowns & Perusing the Program


Spilling funnel cake all over my 'MOM' jeans and avoiding a popcorn spill (oops!)


Posing beside over-priced circus memorabilia
(look at my nose and powdered-sugar jeans)

Finally, the show begins. The opening is always exciting. Everyone comes out and partakes in a musical-type performance. The national anthem is belted-out across the arena. Vendors are walking around blocking everyone's view selling cotton-candy, popcorn, and snowballs the price of a meal at a restaurant. They obviously know how to market to this particular crowd, for we were suckered into buying an item. There was a good ringmaster/bad ringmaster storyline to this particular show. Sort of like Joker and Batman. There were moments that were drawn-out, like the 'bubble' skit. The children became restless during this time, but were quickly appeased by all the animals. Kaden especially loved the the dirtbikes in the cage. I guess it's a boy thing. I particularly enjoyed the beautiful, white horses. I wanted to take one home with me. I also liked any part that included audience participation. This always makes for a great laugh. I like how the music was live and there was additional footage on big-screen televisions to enhance the experience. This made it an entertaining event. Overall, the circus was a blast. I appreciate all that was done to make the day memorable (and cost-friendly).

Here are some pictures from the night (not the best, but you get the idea):

Thanks once again to Mom Central and Feld Entertainment for providing me with this wonderful experience. I would also like to mention The Happy Housewife for hosting such a great giveaway. I have truly enjoyed the new connections I have made. Can't wait to do it all again.

THE CASE: Being a Mom who can't let loose and enjoy the show
THE VERDICT: Not Guilty