Officials urge customers to purchase only through CircusVargas.com or the on-site box office as “Masquerade” opens Friday
As Circus Vargas prepares to open its Big Top in Folsom Friday, organizers are warning local families to be careful where they purchase their tickets online.
Circus officials say unauthorized online ticket sellers and brokers are creating problems for customers in several ways — from selling tickets at dramatically inflated prices to offering tickets that ultimately are not valid for admission.
The message from Circus Vargas as its Folsom engagement gets underway is simple: Purchase tickets directly through the official Circus Vargas website or at the Circus Vargas box office on site at Lakeside Church.
The warning comes as the traveling circus opens its all-new 2026 production, “Masquerade,” Friday, Sept. 4, beneath the massive white-and-blue Big Top that rose earlier this week near the corner of Oak Avenue Parkway and East Bidwell Street. Performances continue through Sept. 21.
According to Circus Vargas officials, some third-party sellers purchase lower-priced tickets and then offer them online at substantially higher prices. Customers may spend far more than the ticket’s actual face value, only to arrive at the circus and discover the same seating category was available directly from Circus Vargas for considerably less.
Other cases are more serious. Officials say customers have arrived with tickets purchased through unauthorized sources that are not valid at all.
Circus Vargas has posted a prominent ticket policy on its official ticketing website specifically addressing fraudulent ticket sales and unauthorized brokers. The company states that tickets purchased from unauthorized sites will not be honored at its performances. Altered tickets are also invalid, and Circus Vargas prohibits tickets purchased through its system from being resold.
The problem can affect more than those who actually complete a purchase.
Circus officials say inflated prices advertised by unauthorized sellers can give prospective customers the false impression that Circus Vargas tickets cost considerably more than they actually do. Some people may see those prices while searching online, assume they are official and decide not to attend without ever reaching the circus’ actual ticket site.
Official prices for the Folsom engagement begin at $25 and top out at $90 for the highest-priced VIP options, depending on seating location and ticket category. Current seating categories include Back Arena, Side Arena, Front Arena, Front Arena Center, Ringside and VIP.
Circus Vargas also advises customers that tickets purchased online are issued for mobile entry or will call and may not be printed for admission. Tickets are not transferable and customers may be required to show photo identification.
For those who would rather purchase tickets in person, the Circus Vargas box office at the Folsom site is open on show days from noon to 8 p.m.
Online buyers should begin at CircusVargas.com and follow the ticket link from the circus’ official website rather than relying on sponsored search results, resale listings or unfamiliar ticket websites that may appear when searching for tickets.
The warning arrives just as the waiting ends for local circus fans.
Circus Vargas officially opens its Folsom engagement Friday at Lakeside Church, where its massive white-and-blue Big Top rose Wednesday and quickly became one of the most visible sights near the busy Oak Avenue Parkway and East Bidwell Street intersection.
The tent raising transformed the grounds into the temporary home of the California-born traveling circus, which will remain in Folsom through Sept. 21.
This year’s production, “Masquerade,” is an entirely new show for 2026, combining traditional circus artistry with elaborate costumes, music and theatrical lighting.
Beneath the Big Top, audiences will see an international cast of aerialists, acrobats, high-wire performers, jugglers, comedians and specialty performers, with the action unfolding just feet from spectators.
Among the featured attractions are aerial performances, high-wire artistry from the Meza Troupe, hand balancing, unicycle performances, juggling, archery, hula hoops and quick-change artistry.
The show also includes one of the production’s biggest adrenaline rushes, as motorcycle riders race inside a steel globe in a precision act requiring carefully coordinated speed and timing.
Circus Vargas describes “Masquerade” as a two-hour, family-friendly production. The show is animal-free, with the focus placed entirely on human performance and the athleticism, artistry and comedy of its international cast.
While the production changes each year, the arrival of the Big Top has become a familiar sight in Folsom.
Circus Vargas was founded in California in 1969 and remains one of the best-known traveling circuses still taking its own traditional Big Top from community to community. Rather than moving into an established theater, the company travels with its performance venue and production infrastructure, creating a temporary circus site at each stop before packing everything up and moving to the next city.
Today, the company is owned and operated by seventh-generation circus performers Katya Arata Quiroga and Nelson Quiroga, continuing a tradition that now spans more than 57 years.
The Folsom stop follows the circus’ August engagement at Westfield Galleria in Roseville. Circus Vargas will remain at Lakeside Church through Sept. 21 before continuing its California tour to San Jose later in September.
Circus Vargas presents “Masquerade” Sept. 4-21 at Lakeside Church, 745 Oak Avenue Parkway, near the corner of Oak Avenue Parkway and East Bidwell Street in Folsom.
For official showtimes, seating availability and online ticket purchases, visit CircusVargas.com and use the ticket link provided directly by Circus Vargas.
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