Annual Folsom tradition returns to Lakeside Church Sept. 4 with an all-new 2026 production packed with aerialists, acrobats, daredevils and more
One of the most recognizable signs that Circus Vargas has returned to Folsom will soon rise into the local skyline as the Big Top comes to the corner of Oak Avenue Parkway and East Bidwell Street this week.
Circus Vargas opens its annual Folsom engagement Friday, Sept. 4, at Lakeside Church, beginning more than two weeks of performances that will continue through Sept. 21. This year, the longtime California circus arrives with an entirely new production, “Masquerade,” promising two hours of high-flying thrills, comedy and live entertainment for audiences of all ages.
For those who have watched the familiar circus tent appear in Folsom year after year, the arrival has become something of a local tradition. But while the Big Top may be familiar, what happens beneath it changes each year.
The 2026 edition is built around the theme of “Masquerade,” taking audiences into a theatrical world of mystery, elaborate costumes, music and lighting while an international cast performs aerial feats, acrobatics, high-wire acts, hand balancing, juggling and other specialty performances.
Among the performers featured in this year’s production is aerialist Liina, along with the Meza Troupe performing high-wire artistry and Freedom of Art showcasing hand-balancing skills. The Faltyny family brings both juggling and unicycle performances to the ring, while Martii and Liina add an archery act and Vlastia takes on the hula hoops. Emelin and Dasha bring quick-change artistry to the production.
Then there is one of the show’s biggest adrenaline rushes: the Globe of Death, where motorcycles race within the confines of a steel sphere in a precision act that has long been a crowd favorite.
Returning to guide audiences through the spectacle is ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson, whose career in the circus ring has made him one of the most recognizable contemporary ringmasters in the industry.
It all takes place in an intimate setting that remains one of the defining elements of Circus Vargas. Rather than watching the action from the distant seats of a large arena, spectators gather beneath the traditional Big Top, placing them close to the performers as aerialists soar overhead and acrobats perform just feet away.
Circus Vargas describes “Masquerade” as its “experience of 2026,” combining the traditions of the traveling circus with a modern production built around human performance. The show is animal-free, with the focus placed entirely on the athleticism, artistry, comedy and personalities of its cast.
That approach continues a California entertainment tradition stretching back more than half a century.
Circus Vargas was founded in California in 1969 and has grown into one of the best-known traveling circuses still performing beneath a traditional big top. Today, it is owned and operated by seventh-generation circus performers Katya Arata Quiroga and Nelson Quiroga, continuing a family tradition built around taking live circus entertainment from community to community.
This week, that traveling tradition makes Folsom its home.
The circus wraps up its current Roseville engagement at Westfield Galleria on Aug. 31 before making the short move to Folsom, where performances begin Sept. 4. The Folsom engagement runs through Monday, Sept. 21, before the tour moves on to San Jose later in the month.
Tickets for the Folsom performances are already on sale. Prices begin at $25 and range to $90 depending on seating, with Back Arena, Arena Side, Arena Front, Arena Center, Ringside Reserved and VIP options available. Children younger than 2 are admitted free when sitting on an adult’s lap, and senior and military discounts are available.
The circus box office is also open on show days from noon until 8 p.m. Circus Vargas advises customers purchasing online to use its authorized ticketing system, as tickets obtained through unauthorized resale sites will not be honored.
With Labor Day weekend giving way to September and the towering Big Top returning to one of Folsom’s busiest intersections, the circus will once again be hard to miss. For families who make Circus Vargas an annual outing — and for children experiencing a traditional Big Top circus for the first time — “Masquerade” brings a new lineup of performers and thrills to a familiar Folsom tradition.
Circus Vargas presents “Masquerade” Sept. 4-21 at Lakeside Church, at the corner of Oak Avenue Parkway and East Bidwell Street in Folsom.
Tickets, individual showtimes and seating availability can be found through the official Circus Vargas ticket site. Additional information about the production is available at Circus Vargas.
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