Someone asked recently when the Ringling Winter Quarters was moved from Sarasota to Venice. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the move was made between the 1959 and '60 seasons. The interesting thing tho, I remember reading that the show eventually wintered longer in Venice than they did in Sarasota and for that matter, longer than the Ringlings wintered in Baraboo. |
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Venice Winter Quarters
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7 comments:
When and where did the original Blue Unit open. As I recall it was in 1969 and Louisville, KY.
Since they stopped making Route Books in 1968 and you were on the scene, Louisville sounds good to me.
No we went to the abandoned Venice quarters, the old place in Sarasota has been a housing development for many years.
As I understand it, when John Ringling brought the show from Bridgeport to Sarasota in 1927 they had an indefinate lease on the winter quarters site since it was a great winter attraction for the city.
However after the show closed under canvas and moved indoors they were only in town long enough to put a new show together not to mention the arrival of Busch Gardens and the increasing value of the quarters site.
So they moved down the road a short distance to Venice.
The new site was not new to circuses The Sparks Show had wintered next door at the Air Port in the mid 1940's.
Seems like The tracks and sidings were in really bad shape in Venice and since basically only the show used the sidings there, the city wanted the Show to pay for the repairs on them. There was a showdown on who should pick up the tab Rumored to be 5 mil. So the show left. At least that was the story when we were on the show. L.S.
If they left Venice, then where is the new winter quarters for the RBBB?
There is none. One unit will pull into the Tampa Fairgrounds and camp long enough to rehearse a new show.
The other will squat at the Orlando Fairgrounds for a couple of weeks then they are off again.
It's something like a street car, it stops for while, some people get on, others get off and it then continues on.
Wow that really SUCKS! Winter Quarters was a fun place. Riding horses on the beach or swimming the elephants, the local cops didn't like that much. What about the old Myacca Bar at the bowling alley? Do they still have the old circus pictures on the walls, I wonder?
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