Geddes, N.Y. -- Life outside of the circus tent after a long day of performances is relatively normal; hot showers, family dinners and a soft bed to fall into make up the “after-party” for the Coronas family.
It’s a contrast to the excitement of Circus Hollywood’s performances.
Circus Hollywood
For 100 years, Circus Hollywood has been a safe, PG place for people to enjoy family fun entertainment.
The performers present traditional style shows under the yellow and blue big top you see at this year’s New York State Fair -- comedic acts, daredevils, aerialists and acrobats.
Devin, The Ringmaster, introduces the various acts of the show and guides the audience through the experience.
The show includes performances from The Coronas Sisters and Duo Devotion, performing aerial strap duos.
There are also comedic acts with Rulito, daredevil stunts by the Hollywood Globe Riders and hula hoop tricks with Crystal Coronas.
The Coronas family cast works together to run the show, taking on the roles of stagehand, makeup artists, hairstylist, sound and lighting technicians and — of course — performers.
“The performers are the crew,” Nicole Landkas, the second half of Duo Devotion, said jokingly.
For 13 days straight — 14 hours a day — 10 performers step into the ring for Circus Hollywood’s show, thrice in one day. In between each show the performers pitch in to help run the family’s Circus Hollywood Family Petting Zoo.
The petting zoo includes zebras, highlander cows, zebus, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, kangaroo, mini horses, donkeys, pony and camel rides and pig races.
The Coronas Family
The Coronas of Hollywood Entertainment — a multi-generation circus family — keep the circus a family tradition.
While Circus Hollywood is four generations deep, Crystal Coronas and Nicole Landkas, two members of the Coronas family, said they come from two different generations of circus performers.
“We’re seventh generation in circus on our mom’s side and fifth generation on our father’s,” Coronas said.
Their father, was a daredevil in the circus, doing stunts on high wire while their mother was a bareback rider, doing summersaults and tricks while riding horseback.
Crystal and Nicole were homeschooled and trained to perform as far back as they could remember.
As kids, they started off taking a bow during the finale of a show to get comfortable in the ring and in front of large crowds. They soon got into back bends and stretches and over time found their own acts.
Serge Coronas Sr. has kept the circus traditional, like past generations in the Coronas family.
A classical circus has various acts that are proponents of traditional style circus shows, such as horseback acts, clown appearances, wild animal dressage, juggling, aerial acrobatics, and so on.
“We have followed [our father’s] legacy in that way,” Coronas said.
Life on the Road
In a gravel lot near Suburban Park on the fairgrounds sits a line of semi-trucks and campers where Circus Hollywood performers live during their 13-day stop at the New York State Fair.
The Coronas family travels eight months out of the year, visiting five to seven states. Driving 14 semis across the country, the company transports their circus show set, stage props, lights, sounds, animals, and other exhibits.
The family lives out of campers most of the year. Their mini-home away from home, Landkas said.
Opening her campers outside storage compartment before Tuesday’s show, Nicole grabbed two pairs of matching black combat boots, a pair for her daughter and a pair for herself.
They bring everything they need on the road, as well as too many pairs of shoes, she said.
“It’s like a trip we over pack for,” Nicole said. “Like when you bring 20 outfits for a week-long trip.”
Inside the compartment were shoes and costumes packed away in their on-the-road living quarters.
Their trailers have full living spaces and are equipped with two bedrooms, a bathroom with a full-size shower and kitchen with a double door fridge.
Life on the road has been a part of Coronas and Landkas’ whole life. They were homeschooled and trained by their parents who were aerialist and acrobats as they traveled around the world.
The Coronas family not only spends months together on the road, but they also live on the same farmland in Bradenton, Florida, not too far from The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota.
Together they share 20 acres, with four houses for the Coronas siblings and their parents.
It can be a taxing career and being on the road can be exhausting and expensive. Inflation has affected the circus’ travel, with gas prices spiking and the semi and trailer’s upkeep costing more.
But they love what they do.
And some people beg the question, what are the circus performers doing post-show?
At the state Fair, the circus acts aren’t exactly sitting around bonfires, singing pirate songs and passing around an unlabeled bottle of scotch into the late hours of the night.
After 14-hour days, Crystal and her husband fall into their bed and encase themselves in the softest pillows and the softest blankets, finding comfort and a moment of R&R.
Nicole spends the time on the road with her fiancé and two young daughters. Together they cook meals, do homeschooling for the girls and have bedtime routines.
That’s why by 9 p.m. when the end of the night nears, they all spend time together by taking it easy. They don’t venture out into the fairgrounds to take a spin on the Cyclone or eat funnel cake and stuffed turkey legs after three show days.
Instead, they eat healthy, and take care of their bodies with stretching, deep muscle massages and warm showers.
Coronas said she and her husband opt for a good book to read or streaming episodes of Master Chef, Stranger Things or The Witcher.
They have pets living in their trailers that they care for, and they grill every night, hosting mini-BBQs for the crew and other state Fair acts, including Lady Houdini.
The family eats, trains, and relaxes together. They protect one another and help take care of each member. They love being together.
“We do everything together,” Coronas said. “Circus families in general are known for staying together longer than other families, because as you can see, it’s mom, dad, brothers, sisters, nieces; we’re all here together.”
Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com