The greatest show in Kennewick! Circus family reunites for Carousel performance

Tucked into the closet at the Tierra Vida recreation center are juggling pins, a unicycle and the other artifacts of Walter Chimal’s family history.

The circus is in his family’s blood.

His grandfather ran away with the circus when he was a boy. His father continued as a performer, then Walter and 20 of his relatives followed in the tradition.

When he was with the Circus Chimera, Chimal traveled across North and South America. He worked on the trapeze, as a strong man, a juggler and as the base of a pyramid of acrobats balancing precariously on a beam.

When the circus stopped touring in 2007, the family members moved on to other circuses.

Chimal ended up in Pasco as the Tierra Vida activities coordinator, while other family members scattered across the country.

With the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus closing last spring, more than 500 performers were left without work, including two of Chimal’s sisters and a brother.

While the family is left temporarily without a circus, it isn’t going to stop them from performing.

They are bringing their talents to a private celebration Wednesday at the Gesa Carousel of Dreams, organized by the Catholic Charities of Central Washington as part of its Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.

The “Carousel-ebration” is a “thank you” to the more than 400 volunteers that help with the program.

Patty George, the volunteer coordinator, would have been happy to have Walter performing solo. Then she got a bonus.

“We ended up with the whole family,” she said. “They will be beautifully costumed and really a great part of our celebration.”

The family will be joined by performers from the circus classes Chimal teaches at Tierra Vida.

Walter’s sisters, Miriam and Mariana, joined him Monday in the recreation center as the first group of children started to filter in. Students grabbed the unicycle and rode around the gymnasium.

Passing on the same lessons he learned as a boy, Chimal compared the circus to sports, saying it requires kids to be responsible at an early age because they need to make sure to practice.

“The circus ... for us, it’s a tradition,” he said. “Kids in the circus are like any other kid. They just have an extra talent.”

This story was originally published October 2, 2017 at 7:46 PM with the headline "The greatest show in Kennewick! Circus family reunites for Carousel performance."