{"id":43111,"date":"2026-03-27T15:38:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T19:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=43111"},"modified":"2026-03-27T15:45:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T19:45:20","slug":"what-to-do-garden-bros-nuclear-circus-comes-to-philly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=43111","title":{"rendered":"What To Do: Garden Bros\u00a0Nuclear\u00a0Circus comes to Philly"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Denny Dyroff,<\/strong> Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/em><\/div>\n
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Garden Bros\u00a0Nuclear\u00a0Circus<\/p><\/div>\n

This is the penultimate weekend of the 2026 Easter season and there are many holiday events on this weekend\u2019s calendar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For those who want to wait for the actual Easter weekend to celebrate, there are many other non-holiday events in the area over the next few days.<\/div>\n
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A great way to welcome spring is to attend a circus under a Big top tent.<\/div>\n
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Now through March 29, the Garden Bros\u00a0Nuclear\u00a0Circus will visit the area for a 25-performance run at Philadelphia Mills (1455 Franklin Mills Circle, Philadelphia, www.gardenbroscircus.com<\/u><\/a>).<\/div>\n
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The 2026 tour features an all-new Garden Bros Circus show, which is billed as \u201cThe World\u2019s Largest Circus Under The Biggest Big Top On Earth.\u201d<\/div>\n

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This circus company is one of the original touring circuses in North America.<\/div>\n
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In 1916, William and Robertson Garden settled in Canada. William pursued a career in vaudeville, forming the act Garden and Shaw with his wife, Jean. They later established the Canadian Vaudeville Exchange, which evolved into Garden Amusements Limited.<\/div>\n
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In 1932, William was contracted to produce a circus at the Coliseum in Toronto. By 1949, his brother Robertson joined as a partner, and together they relocated to California.<\/div>\n
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During its early years, the circus was North America\u2019s sole full-time production.<\/div>\n
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After William\u2019s passing in the 1950s, his sons Bill, George, and Ian launched smaller circuses, eventually adopting the name Garden Bros Circus in 1959. They transitioned to indoor performances and introduced a circus tent in 1960.<\/div>\n
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In 1967, Ian and Dick Garden took over, with Ian continuing the indoor Garden Bros tour throughout eastern Canada. In 1990, Ian passed the reins to his sons, Richard and Ian Jr., who carried on the tradition until around 2010.<\/div>\n
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The Garden Bros Circus title remained dormant until Niles Garden revived it in March 2015.<\/div>\n
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Since Niles Garden took over as producer, Garden Bros Nuclear Circus has evolved into a next-level entertainment experience. Under his direction, the show has expanded nationwide, introduced cutting-edge production elements, and featured a world-class lineup of performers.<\/div>\n
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Niles brought a fresh creative vision and a focus on high-impact visuals, making the circus bigger, louder, and more immersive than ever before.<\/div>\n
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Today\u2019s Garden Bros Nuclear Circus features more than 60 performers from around the world. The show includes aerial artists, stunt drivers, dancers, clowns, and daredevils.<\/div>\n
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Popular attractions are Jr\u2019s Big Adventure (virtual reality experience), The Human Cannonball, Globe of Death, The<\/div>\n
World\u2019s Smallest Person and live music and special effects<\/div>\n
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Every show is 100 minutes long and built to keep families entertained the entire time.<\/div>\n
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Ticket prices start at $23.27. Every adult ticket to Garden Bros Circus includes one\u00a0free ticket for a child.<\/div>\n
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Shows are 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Friday; 1, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday; and 1, 4 and 7 p.m. on Sunday.<\/div>\n
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Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org<\/u><\/a>) is now featuring one of its popular annual special events \u2013 \u201cSpring Blooms.\u201d<\/div>\n
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A featured attraction is the Kurume Azalea Bonsai Display.<\/b><\/div>\n
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Longwood Gardens<\/p><\/div>\n

This display features early spring blooming Kurume hybrid azalea (Rhododendron<\/i>\u00a0hybrid), known for their bright flower colors and evergreen foliage. Also known as Japanese azaleas, this type of hybrid has been cultivated in Japan since the late 1600s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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These Kurume azaleas were obtained as full-sized plants from Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, given to the United States from France as part of the bicentennial celebration. Grown in the clump style, their bonsai training began in 1980.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Inside Longwood’s Conservatory, visitors can check out the towering Clerodendrum schmidtii (chains of glory) as well as nearly 300 blooming orchids on display in the Orchid House.<\/div>\n
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As always, admission by \u201cTimed Ticket\u201d — tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed ticketing limits the number of people in the Gardens at any given time and allows guests to enjoy minimal lines and a better viewing experience.<\/div>\n
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You may enter the Gardens up to 30 minutes prior and 30 minutes after your designated time. Make every effort to arrive at your designated reservation time. Earlier or later arrivals may not be accommodated.<\/div>\n
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Admission to Longwood Gardens is $35 for adults, $21 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and $20 for youth (ages 5-18).<\/div>\n
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On March 28 and 29, the Philadelphia Mineralogical Society is presenting its \u201cAnnual Philadelphia Mineral Treasures and Fossil Fair\u201d show and sale at the LuLu Shriners Temple (5140 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, 610-828-9050, www.philamineralsociety.org<\/a>).<\/div>\n
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The event will feature exhibits of outstanding specimens from society members\u2019 personal collections. The event will also offer a variety of learning activities including a fossil dig for children, displays of local and regional finds and a mineral identification table.<\/div>\n
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Other special attractions include a fluorescent minerals room, lapidary and jewelry displays, educational materials, door prizes and a food and beverage concession.<\/div>\n
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Additionally, there will be a sales area featuring more than 30 dealers from around the country. These dealers will be selling fossils, minerals, crystals and jewelry from all over the world, along with books, decorative items and other merchandise.<\/div>\n
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Demonstrations by the Leidy Microscopical Society on Saturday and Sunday.<\/div>\n
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The show will also feature food vendors as well as door prize drawings throughout both days.<\/div>\n
The Fair will run from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $7 for adults and $2 for children (under 12).<\/div>\n
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On\u00a0March 28, the Greater Philadelphia Expo\u00a0Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, 610-232-5718, www.phillyexpocenter.com<\/u><\/a>) will host the East Coast\u00a0Reptile\u00a0Super Expo featuring hundreds of live snakes and\u00a0reptiles.<\/div>\n
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East Coast\u00a0Reptile\u00a0Super Expo<\/p><\/div>\n

Many people think snakes and lizards are interesting creatures and maybe even fun pets to own. If you fall into this category, you should check out the show on Saturday. A wide array of\u00a0reptiles will be on display as part of the popular exhibition, which is an annual event that is closing in on its silver anniversary.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One of the show\u2019s main attractions is a sales exhibit area featuring many vendors with live\u00a0reptiles, amphibians and arachnids as well as food items, supplies, books, cages, and related accessories.<\/div>\n
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Some of the featured vendors are AZO\u00a0Reptiles, Darwin\u2019s Toybox, Blake\u2019s Exotic\u00a0Reptiles, Fowler\u00a0Reptiles, Reptile\u00a0Kingdom, Powder Keg Pythons, Gecko Haven,\u00a0Hunger\u00a0Reptiles,\u00a0Just Lizards, Outback\u00a0Reptiles, Monstar\u00a0Reptiles,\u00a0Turtle to Turtle, Delaware Valley Herpetarium, Zartopian Reptiles, BB Crested Geckos, Dan\u2019s Chameleons, Vega Herping Kingdom and Komodo Reptiles.<\/div>\n
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The East Coast\u00a0Reptile\u00a0Super Expo is sponsored by RKZ Rodents. Always a well-attended event, the show will run from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. this Saturday.<\/div>\n
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Tickets are $10.<\/div>\n
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Other events this weekend at the Expo Center are SEPOS International Orchid Show and Sale now through March 29 and Jurassic Quest now through March 29.<\/div>\n
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On March 27 and 28, the Annual Gap Fire Company Mud Sale & Auction will be held at the Houston Run Complex (Brackbill Road and Houston Run Drive, Gap, http:\/\/www.gapfire.org<\/u><\/a>).<\/div>\n
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The list of items that will be on the auction block includes antiques, nursery stock, lawn furniture, quilts, wall hangings, crafts, needlework, farm machinery and more.<\/div>\n
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The Gap Fire Company\u2019s annual spring \u201cMud Sale\u201d auction will be held on the complex (which is a half-mile west of the fire company grounds) on March 25 — starting at 4:30 p.m. followed by crafts at 5 p.m. and shrubbery and flowers at 6:30 p.m.<\/div>\n
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The Saturday auctions will start at 8 a.m.<\/div>\n
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For shoppers who get hungry, there will be Chicken Bar-B-Q, homemade soft pretzels, ice cream, strawberry pie, baked goods and other homemade food items.<\/div>\n
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In 2026, America turns 250, and Philadelphia is throwing the ultimate yearlong celebration.<\/div>\n
After all, we\u2019ve been first in freedom, first in innovation and first in fun for 250 years.<\/div>\n
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52 Weeks of Firsts (www.visitphilly.com\/52-weeks-of-firsts<\/u><\/a>) is a yearlong, citywide celebration honoring Philadelphia\u2019s legacy of innovation produced by the Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee.<\/div>\n
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Not only was Philadelphia the birthplace of the country, but it was also the backdrop for many other marvels.<\/div>\n
To honor these groundbreaking inventions and firsts, the Philadelphia Historic District is holding a year\u2019s worth of free events to celebrate the country\u2019s 250th birthday.<\/div>\n
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52 Weeks of Firsts shines a light on different Philly-born Firsts each week through a series of free public events called\u00a0Saturday Firstivals\u00a0\u2014 held every Saturday of 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in more than a dozen neighborhoods.<\/div>\n
In 1765, Philadelphia became home to the nation\u2019s first medical school, setting the standard for training America\u2019s earliest physicians.<\/div>\n
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More than 250 years later, the Perelman School of Medicine continues to blend innovation and tradition, shaping the future of healthcare.<\/div>\n
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The event will be held at the Clifton Center for Medical Breakthroughs, which is located at 1 Convention Avenue in Philadelphia.<\/div>\n
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Philadelphia is set to host the third major \u201cNo Kings\u201d march and rally on March 28 \u2013 one of many nationwide demonstrations\u00a0planned for the same day.<\/div>\n
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There will be \u201cNo Kings\u201d rallies in Chester County \u2013 March 28 at 1 p.m. at Historic Chester County Courthouse (2 North High Street, West Chester) and March 28 from noon-2 p.m. in Phoenixville.<\/div>\n
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Organized locally by Indivisible Philadelphia, the event aims to draw protesters to Center City to\u00a0oppose policies of the Trump administration\u00a0and to voice broader concerns about civil rights and democratic norms.<\/div>\n
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On March 28, over 3,100 events will be\u00a0happening across the U.S. as part of the third \u201cNo Kings\u201d protest.<\/div>\n
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The \u201cNo Kings\u201d group said on its website (www.mobilize.us\/nokings<\/a>) that the American people are \u201cready to stand in solidarity against the Trump administration\u2019s overreach and heinous acts against working families and immigrants.\u201d Trump has previously called similar\u00a0protests\u00a0\u201ca joke\u201d run by \u201cradical left lunatics.\u201d<\/div>\n
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There are 23 events already\u00a0listed\u00a0for Minnesota, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u00a0(ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) actions in the Twin Cities\u00a0have exacerbated\u00a0local tensions, over 100 in Massachusetts, over 60 in Florida, over 40 in Texas, over 20 in New York, and many others across the country.<\/div>\n
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There will also be rallies in Norristown, Media, Ardmore, Havertown and Audobon, among other locations.<\/div>\n
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This weekend is a special time at the\u00a0Academy\u00a0of\u00a0Natural\u00a0Sciences\u00a0of Drexel University (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, www.ansp.org<\/u><\/a>).<\/div>\n
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It is the opening of a new exhibit \u2013 \u201cBotany of Nations.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Visitors can experience a groundbreaking exhibition that provides a new perspective on the legendary Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery.<\/div>\n
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Co-curated with Enrique Salm\u00f3n, PhD, an ethnobotanist and author of IW\u00cdGARA: The Kinship of Plants and People, and developed with contributions from Indigenous cultural historians, \u201cBotany of Nations\u201d offers a culturally layered view of the plants of North America.<\/div>\n
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Collected on the famous expedition, some of the oldest plant specimens in the country today are housed in the Academy\u2019s own Lewis and Clark Herbarium.<\/div>\n
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Guests can learn how the Native Nations Meriwether Lewis met on the trail shaped America\u2019s plant knowledge long before Western scientists claimed these \u201cdiscoveries.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Centering the voices of Native Nations who have protected and cared for the lands for thousands of years, \u201cBotany of Nations\u201d presents plants as portals to Indigenous storytelling and knowledge.<\/div>\n
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Visitors will:<\/div>\n