A Circus Party may be made just as elaborate or just as simple as
one wishes. If one is planning to give an elaborate affair, detailed
suggestions can be found in “A Circus,” published by the Womans
Press.[D] The following plan has been worked out to meet the demands of
those who wish to give a rather simple circus party.
A typical circus barker stands at the outer door. In professional lingo
he invites the guests to come inside. “Ladies and gentlemen, right this
way, right this way! The cleverest collection of comical characters
that ever came to town! Right this way, ladies and gentlemen, right
this way! Nothing finer in the world! Don’t fail to see it. Right this
way!”
The room in which the circus is held should be decorated to look like
a circus tent, if possible. Stretch a piece of old canvas across the
ceiling so that it gives the effect of a tent roof. At each end of the
room arrange booths where refreshments are served. Pink lemonade and
ice-cream cones should be in one, and perhaps “hot dogs” in another.
Have peanuts distributed by venders throughout the crowd. Try to
arrange all sorts of side shows. Display in one the freaks, such as
the armless woman, an Albino, the dog-faced boy, the bearded lady, the
tallest man in the world and others of Barnum and Bailey fame. Be sure
that there is a good barker to “ballyhoo” them and to point out the
peculiarities of each. Have one or two fortune-telling booths, perhaps
a Gypsy palmist and a Turkish crystal gazer.
All sorts of throwing contests can be arranged to attract and amuse the
crowd. For instance, in one booth have a row of cocoanuts suspended
from the ceiling on strings. Give everyone three chances at hitting a
cocoanut. If anyone succeeds he may keep the cocoanut as a prize. Or
have a broken china booth where each person may take three chances at
breaking any bit of crockery he wishes.
Or a game known as “Hoop-la” amuses people immensely. In the center
of a roped-off ring place several prizes on small blocks of wood. The
object of this game is to ring these blocks with ordinary embroidery
hoops, which should exactly fit over the blocks. The person who throws
a hoop so that it circles the block completely, gets the prize on that
block.
Or have a tub or watering trough full of water, on which small shallow
dishes are floating. The object of the game is to throw coins onto
these dishes. The money that lands in the dish is doubled and returned
to the person but any which falls in the water he loses. (Of course
this game should not be played if the party is an invitation affair.)
A dart contest is always popular. Tack at the back of a booth a pack
of playing cards. Give each player five small wooden darts with a
sharp point in the end of each. The object of the game is to hit with
these darts three cards of the same kind, that is, three Jacks or
three Queens. If a player hits the three cards of the same kind in
five trials he is given a pack of playing cards as a prize. Such games
always attract people, especially if at each booth there is a lively
barker who will amuse the crowd and keep things going.
To add atmosphere have all sorts of comical circus characters wander
through the audience--clowns, a rube and his wife, a big fat Irish
policeman, Charlie Chaplin, Sis Hopkins and others. Let them play
all sorts of tricks on each other and on the crowd. Have balloon and
confetti venders everywhere, dressed in bright costumes.