The Hermanos Caballero Circus brought spectacular performances and laughter to East Palo Alto and the local community for two weeks, from Oct. 2-13. The annual show started in 2002 and made its anticipated return this year.
The show, which mainly travels around California, is the continuation of over 65 years of Caballero family acrobats and circus performers. The family proudly represents their hometown of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico and mainly hosts the show in Spanish.
Upon walking in, attendees were drawn to the sweet smell of churros, popcorn, and caramel apples sold to enjoy during the show. The crowd was skewed towards families with young children, but teens and grandparents were also welcomed to join the fun. In the ring, circus staff sold flashy clown noses, balloons, and illuminated toy batons, setting off a night of youthful excitement.
Pastor Wilma Traylor began the night with a prayer for the safety of the acrobats and the immigrant community in EPA. She represents Pray EPA, a faith-based community that promotes peace and unity, and organizes for the circus to come to town every year.
“People can safely commune together in fellowship, make memories, and that’s big to me,” Traylor said. “That one day you can be in one of the worst places to be, and then the next you can be here today, celebrating together under the same tent and feel safe. I think that’s God.”
The performance was full of jaw-dropping talent and beautiful dances. Nine-year-old Francesco Caballero, the youngest professional juggler in the world, began the night by juggling batons, soccer balls, lacrosse balls, and flying disks. His stage presence was electric as he dramatically juggled an increasing number of each object beneath his legs, on his knees, and high into the sky.
The aerial gymnasts followed with a stunning performance to ethereal music where they showed off their extreme flexibility and strength, dangling from hoops and ropes 20 feet above the stage. The soft blue lighting added yet another dimension as the aerialists’ shadows danced across the ceiling of the tent.
Later, Melody Caballero, an accomplished performer for Cirque de Soleil and America’s Got Talent, stunned the crowd with her contortion capabilities, doing handstands and single-arm holds while in the splits. In addition to her impressive and effortless gymnastics, her act was a beautiful display of culture. She entered the stage with a turquoise sombrero and cape featuring Mexican embroidery, supported by an entourage of graceful dancers and their fluttering baile folklorico skirts.
The show was full of laughs, with clowns Tuty Fruty and Santino frequently entering the stage in creative ways—packed into gas-powered miniature cars or unexpectedly appearing in the audience. The clowns came prepared with jokes and short, funny activities. In one, they raced to balance plates by spinning them on precariously flexible wires.
Later in the show, Tuty Fruty invited four random adult “volunteers” on stage to dance, play silly instruments, and make people laugh.
While the volunteers were on stage, funny mishaps sent the audience into laughter. One of the volunteer’s onstage performances was to dance around and kick her feet to the music, during which her shoe flew off across the stage, leaving everyone in surprise.
When she got a second chance, she once again danced enthusiastically but broke a plate with a hammer she was given by Tuty Fruty. The clown stood there watching with a sad expression while the famous “Meow Meow Meow” sad song played in the background, only encouraging more laughs.
Carlos Arriaga was one of the lucky guests who got to dance on stage with all and his family watching. “I couldn’t believe that they invited me up, I felt super nervous, but inside I was super happy,” Arriaga said. “I remembered when I was a little boy and how I always had the dreams of being in the circus, and suddenly my nerves disappeared.”
Chicharrón, a beloved singer, musician, and TV comedian from Mexico, then came on stage, bringing quick wit and danceable music with his trumpet; his catchphrase, “Excelente!”; and his signature pose. Chicharrón wowed the audience with his trumpet, playing “Tequilia” by the Champs and “Oye Mujer” by Raymax.
The circus was not without drama. Onlookers grabbed their seats and held their breath as one, two, and then three motorcyclists rolled into the Globe of Death at the same time. Their motorcycles reached horizontal as all three raced around each other, and one motorcyclist even drove a loop, going completely upside down. These motorcyclists also happened to be Francesco, Judith, and Nicole Caballero, the nine, 12 and 13-year-olds who continue the Caballero family legacy.
The circus came to an end with spectacular tricks on one of the world’s top high-wire acts over 20 feet above the stage. A stuntwoman gracefully crossed the wire on pointe shoes, carrying only a blue umbrella for balance. Moving with danger and elegance, other acrobats continued to shock the audience, jumping rope while on the wire, crossing by hamster wheel and unicycle, and lastly bounding over blazing fire with gravity-defying leaps.
Like the show itself, setting up a circus is no small feat and takes a lot of love. Everything travels with the performers, so employees like Jersón Guerrero Gonzalez have one day to take down the soaring white and purple circus tent and everything inside. “Its just that I have a little bit of love for everything I do. More than anything we are circus people and have a heritage of grandparents, uncles, and cousins. It’s work that’s been perfected over a long time,” Guerrero Gonzalez said.
Person walking on stage. 
Melody Caballero holds a one arm handstand while in the splits. 
Tuty Frutti looks dismayed after a “volunteered” audience member breaks a plate as part of the band. 
Francesco Caballero celebrates his perfect juggling act. 
A stuntwoman crosses the highwire on a hamster wheel without a safety rope.
