Circus comes to town, packing out local school gyms

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – These kids are delighted at watching Elena, a hula hoop performer, on Friday night when Billy Martin’s Cole All Star Circus came to Medina Wise Middle School Gym.

Billy Martin welcomes a crowd of 400 to the Medina gym on Friday evening. A second show was added later because there were so many people waiting to get in.

Martin, an Olean native, is in his 48th year in the circus business. The circus performs in about 150 schools each year. It started the season on Jan. 11 in Lyons.

An enthusiastic crowd filled the gym at Wise Middle School.

The group performed in Albion on Thursday and Medina on Friday. They will be back in Orleans County later next week. They will be in Holley on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the elementary school gym, and then Kendall on Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at jr.-sr. high school gym.

Elena Aristov dazzled the crowd with the hula hoops are the first act in the circus.

Elena Aristov performs with light up hula hoops. The circus had dramatic lighting during the performance.

Kaya Bloom of Medina gets an inflatable Spider Man for her son, Chancellor, 4.

These aerial performers were up high in blacklight outfits.

This performer juggled and balanced many plates during his routine.

Brylee Holloway, 8, of Medina is delighted with the face painting by Elena Aristov.