The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Legends event came to Huntsville, Alabama during the first week of April and the BGG staff were able to attend the event on April 5, 2014. Tickets for the event were reasonably priced starting as low as $15 and going as high as $155 for the Ringmaster Zone seats. The circus is an event that can be enjoyed by the entire family, and we definitely saw that was the case at this year's Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Legends show. It was however a hassle getting into the show as storms of protestors stood outside the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, and tried to get attendees to turn back from the show, as they saw the animals were inhumanly treated. While at the show, we saw the staff and performers treat the animals with nothing but kindness, but we can not speak with on what happens behind the scenes at events such as this.
We took our seats at around 3:00 PM and watched the opening act for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Legends which involved a beautifully coordinated dance number alongside professionally trained animals and great skits by the performers. The only thing that made the event a little less enjoyable was the tight seating which made you feel like you were packed inside a sardine can. There was a very narrow walkway to each row of seating which was almost dangerous since you only had enough room to stand up and then walk out like you were on a tight rope. One wrong move and you could find yourself tumbling down rows of seats and falling on the hard concrete floor that laid below. Basically, if you were sit in the middle seating of these rows then you would never be able to get up during the show to get a drink or go to the restroom and would have to wait until the half-time show to do so. This means that most attendees sit for almost an hour and half to two hours before they could get out of their seat to meet basic human needs. Another big drawback of the event was the outrageous prices for food, drinks and souvenirs. Want two bags of cotton candy that comes with some poorly made ringmaster hats? $30. Do you want a cup of lemonade that comes in a plastic souvenir cup? $10. Or how about having a last memory of the event by having a picture took with your family? $21. It is safe to say that the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Legends event may be fun for children but it will milk their parents dry of every last hard-earned dollar in their pocket.
