July 12, 2013 (This Friday): Peru Amateur Circus at Peru, Indiana

The Peru Amateur Circus consists of approximately 250 young people from Miami County. They perform multiple circus acts such as: trapeze, trampoline, tumbling, juggling, unicycle, aerial ballet and other acts.

The activities begin around 6:30 -7:00 PM, so we should leave early Friday afternoon to drive to Peru. This is a one-and-a-half hour drive north on US 31 through Kokomo. US 31 is under construction so it may take longer this year. This has been an annual event and a highlight of the year. The Friday prior to opening day is family night, which provides us with access to the balcony and dressing rooms.

Location: 154 N. Broadway, Peru, Indiana

Time: We are not sure what time the Ring Master will start the show, but in the past it is between 6:30 -7:00 P.M.

Other Details: When entering you must identify yourself as a member of PVCC. Mark Hall, the circus director, has been kind enough to allow us to photograph at this venue. There is no charge, but he does appreciate receiving images from our trip. We will be collecting your favorites to send to him.

Car-Pooling: At 4:30 PM meet at Hamilton Crossing Center, N. Meridian (US 31) and W. Carmel Drive (approximately 124th Street). We will meet in the parking lot near the Starbucks (where Roberts Camera used to be). Our goal will be to arrive before the show begins in order to capture images of the performers getting ready for the big show. You can arrive later, at your convenience.

Shooting Tips: The lighting is low so a lens with an f stop of at least f2.8 or f4.0 is preferred. Do not shy away from the event if you do not have a lens with these f stops since most cameras now do a nice job at higher iso’s A zoom of 70mm-200mm seems to be a good combination. Tripods can be used in the balcony.

Information: Information on the circus and a map are available at www.perucircus.com