A Night at the Fair: Ottawa’s Carnivàle Lune Bleue

From July 23 to August 30, Ottawa's Hog's Back Park is playing host to Carnivàle Lune Bleue, a spectacle aiming to recreate the magic and allure of the 1930's traveling carnivals. It sounded like just my cup of tea, so I was thrilled when (Cult)ure sent me to check out opening night!

The project is ambitious, and part of its charm is that the carnival is run by a cast of actors in period costume. These actors man the various midway games, ticket booths, and food stations all while interacting in-character with the patrons. The actors also stage vignettes throughout the day, helping set the mood for the carnival. I only had the opportunity to witness one of these vignettes, a funeral/wake scene, but it was quite well done, and the performers were clearly having a good time.

Adding to the atmosphere of the carnival are two authentic and fully functioning rides: a restored 1917 Ferris wheel and a beautiful vintage 1930's wooden carousel. I recommend taking the Ferris wheel at night for a beautiful view of the fairgrounds all lit up.

Carnivàle Lune Bleue features three tent shows. Cirque Maroc, clearly the highlight, features acrobatic performances by a talented cast that includes Cirque du Soleil alumni. The audience was treated to trapeze, high wire, and various other remarkable acrobatic acts, and the show is held together by two 1930's era clowns, who also gave solid performances. It is a well executed and entertaining production.

The second tent show, Carnival Diablo, billed as "a 60-minute show of freakish performers staging squirm inducing feats," is hosted by Nicolai Diablo - a gentleman dressed like a gothic magician.  Nicolai performs several memorable stunts, including hammering a nail up a nostril, playing a version of Russian roulette with a sharp rusty spike, and lifting heavy objects with his tongue. Audience members will also likely be as impressed as I was with Istvan Betyar's sword swallowing and fire eating.  The two remaining members of this troupe, unfortunately, lacked somewhat in stage presence and the resulting performances were a little flat when compared to the other two.

The final tent show, Great Snakes of the World, features "a cast of slithering creatures to give guests the shivers." It is by all accounts a fun and educational introduction to the world of reptiles.

There are food and beverage options available at various locations on the grounds. Those lacking a sweet tooth may choose to avoid the more traditional sugary carnival fare by enjoying a delicious pulled pork sandwich, like I did.

As it stands, $15 gets you admission to the grounds and entrance to the snake tent, and $60 gets you into the grounds and all the shows.  There is no option in-between, which is somewhat problematic if you don't have the time to see all three shows, or only want to see a single show.  Greater consumer flexibility and choice could perhaps lead to more customers.

Carnivàle Lune Bleue does a great job of re-creating the look and feel of a 1930's traveling carnival. It is only in its second year and there are still a few kinks to work out, such as the ticket pricing, but I'm sure it will continue to improve and grow with time. I, for one, certainly hope it becomes a regular feature of summertime in Ottawa.

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