Summary: Danny Grant performed rope tricks at Dolly’s Honky Tonk at the Big E!
The annual Big E event in West Springfield may be known mostly for its good eats, concerts by big names like Roger Daltrey, the Beach Boys and Ice Cube. But, there is also a wide variety of entertainers with a special set of skills. One of these entertainers is Danny Grant of Cowboy Circus.
Danny adds music and banter to his act.
Some of Danny’s more impressive tricks included using two lassos and stepping in and out of the ropes.
And sometimes he even did rope tricks with his toes!
THos are just a few of the tricks Danny used. He had a lot more tricks up his sleeve, or arm!
I couldn’t help but smile while I was photographing Danny. It’s always a pleasure watching an expert ply their trade. Those are very often the easiest photo shoots. Just set your camera, adjust accordingly and enjoy the show.
Summary: Noah Royak entertained the crowd at the Big E!
New England has a long history of festival celebrations. One of the biggest events during the fall, and perhaps the entire year in New England, is the Big E! The event, which is held during the last few weeks of September and part of October, attracts people from all over the region and beyond.
Of course, it rained during my visit. But, most of the events were either indoor or held under a canopy. So I was still able to photograph most of the event.
I have visited, and photographed, the Big E Fair many times over the years. But, because of the volume of photos I take and the number of events I photograph this time of the year, I had never edited or posted those photos. One day, I will get to them! But, I promised myself I would make sure to post the photos from this year’s event! Since there are so many events at this fair and I take so many photos, I decided to post each event from the fair separately. The first event from this year’s event was the entertainment of Noah Royak.!
Noah mixes comedy, juggling and other theatrics in his performance.
But, Noah doesn’t just juggle and balance the usual items.
Noah does other stuff besides juggling and balancing things on his head. He incorporated these hula hoops in his act as well as a few dangerous weapons!
Speaking of dangerous weapons. Don’t try this at home!
While I was photographing him, Noah did notice me and made sure to do a little modeling for me!
He also does impressions! Like this impression of Mickey Mouse!
The highlight of the event was not photographed, though. While looking for a volunteer near the end of his performance, he scanned the audience. Eventually, when there weren’t many takers, he chose me. Lucky me. He actually chose someone else but I thought he was pointing at me.
With much trepidation, I climbed the stairs to the stage. The crowd went crazy as I waved my arms to pump them up. OK, maybe not crazy but work with me. For his finale, I was instructed to hold a balloon while Noah deflated it with a whip! I made sure to held the balloon as far away from my body as possible while Noah went through the calculations in his head for a trick he’s done countless times. And, without a hitch, he deflated the balloon with his whip. Safe and easy. And, after checking to make sure all my digits and other appendages were still with me, I walked back to my seat There may be video or photos of this somewhere. But, they’re not in this post!
There were many other events at the fair this year that I will post in my next installments! There were lots of photo opportunities. So it may take a while to post all of them. But stay tuned for more photos from the festival!
Location: Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Ave West Springfield, MA (1.5 hours southwest of Boston, MA or half an hour north of Hartford, CT)
Summary: A group of international performers came to the Big E Circus Spectacular to show off their talents
While most of the 1.4 million people who visited the Big E Festival in West Springfield this year came for the food, beverages and rides, my favorite attraction was the Circus Spectacular! Each year, a dozen or so performers come to put on a show for the 1,600 plus spectators.
Chu-Chuan Ho started off the Circus Spectacular with his Diablo act.
Susan Vidbel kept the audience in suspense with her Cloud Swing act.
The Amazing Alec, a chair balancing extraordinaire from the Big Apple Circus, showed off his balance and strength.
The Italian performer Gimmi Fornaciari, also known as Laserman, kept the crowd captivated with his lightshow.
The Drazdov Trio mixed aerobatics, agility and strength in their Russian Bar show.
And, last but not least, the High Wire Sky Cycle kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
The annual Circus Spectacular is only one part of the Big E Festival. I am working on editing photos from the festival and hope to post them soon!
