Bradenton area to be home of Ringling Bros. Circus Winter Quarters

Elephants on parade during Ringling Bros. media event Dec. 14, 2010, at Winter Quarters in Tampa.
Photo by Wade Tatangelo.

Read more here: http://heraldbuzzworthy.blogspot.com/2010/12/ringling-bros-ringmaster-announced-for.html#storylink=cpy

A major boon appears on the horizon for the bustling Bradenton area.

One that could not only result in more high-paying jobs, but also some nice name recognition.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus became synonymous with Sarasota when its Winter Quarters were there from 1927 to 1959.

Now "The Greatest Show on Earth" might be just as closely associated with Manatee County.

Feld Entertainment, which acquired Ringling Bros. in 1967, plans to eventually move Winter Quarters to Ellenton from the Florida State Fairgrounds, where the circus is currently rehearsing its 143rd edition for a world premiere Jan. 2-6 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

The new Ellenton facility will house 100,000 square feet of office space and 450,000 square feet of manufacturing in two buildings along U.S. 301.

"We're not at a place yet where we can tell when we will have the capability to rehearse all the circuses at this facility," Feld spokesman Stephen Payne told the Bradenton Herald.

"But the long-term goal is to move Winter Quarters to Ellenton."

Read more.

Ringling Bros. ringmaster announced for 141st edition debuting in Tampa

Nirvana, Ringling Museum of Art and Florida Studio Theatre

Here's what I have running in today's Bradenton Herald.

New FST season is anything but 'normal'Bradenton Herald Having taken his Sarasota company from a small touring group to one of the top professional theaters in the ... Bradenton Herald

Greatest shrine on earth: Ringling Circus Museum reveals major ...Bradenton HeraldOn Saturday, Ringling Circus Museum's Tibbals Learning Center, which already houses the planet's largest ... Bradenton Herald

Buzz worthy: 'Nevermind': the last rock landmarkBradenton Herald ... grab the masses by the throat like “Nevermind.” Wade Tatangelo, features writer/columnist, can be reached at (941) 745-7057. Bradenton Herald

Ringling Bros. 'Fully Charged' in Tampa Jan. 5-9

Ringling Bros. arrive 'fully charged' in Tampa

Here's my feature on the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's new show "Fully Charged" that will be at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa Jan. 5-9. The story ran today on front page of the Herald's Accent section.

Floridians have enjoyed a first look at The Greatest Show on Earth ever since Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey moved to Sarasota in 1927.
On Wednesday, Ringling Bros. premieres “Fully Charged” at the St. Pete Times Forum. Following its Jan. 5-9 run, the 141st edition of the circus tours the country via a mile-long train. Rehearsals began the day after Thanksgiving at winter quarters, which relocated to Tampa’s Florida State Fairgrounds in 1993 after spending 75 years in Sarasota County. Ringling Bros. offered local media a sneak peek of the production last month inside the fairgrounds’ Expo Hall.

Continue reading. It's based on the reporting done during visit to the circus' winter quarters last month, which I blogged about here.

Big Top Tours offers fascinating look at Sarasota's rich circus tradition

PAUL VIDELA/pvidela@bradenton.com Lifelong circus performer and clown Toby Ballantine narrates as the Big Top Tours bus winds its way through Sarasota during a tour of historical circus sites and points of interest in the area.

Click to read "Big Top Tours traces Sarasota's rich circus history."