Creepy makeup, fake blood, coffins, vampires—and the horror circus hasn’t even begun.
Before audience members take their seats for the Paranormal Cirque show, they have the chance to experience the haunt attraction that begins an hour prior to the show. “Scare junkies” won’t want to miss the chance to see performers up close and personal before they take the stage, Steve Copeland, the show’s publicity director and a performer, told the Sun.
Too scared?
The Paranormal Cirque is coming to the Santa Maria Fairpark from Sept. 5 to 8 for a total of six shows. The Fairpark is located at 937 S. Thornburg St. Buy tickets at cirqueitalia.com. Children under the age of 13 are not permitted because the circus is rated R, and children under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult over 21.
“There’s lots of jump scares and performers creeping you out,” Copeland said. “That’s definitely the most intense part of the Paranormal Cirque experience.”
Performances during the rest of the two-hour circus might make the audience squirm, but the jump scares are over.
Paranormal Cirque II, presented by Cirque Italia, is returning to the Santa Maria Fairpark from Sept. 5 to 8. The group is one of four paranormal circus units that tour year-round across the United States and Canada.
The show has stopped in Santa Maria for the past few years, but Copeland said the new acts make for a different experience. Set against the stage’s giant castle backdrop, a new sword swallower jumps rope, hula hoops, and does push-ups with long steel blades in her mouth.
“Pretty impressive because I can’t do those things without a sword down my throat,” Copeland said.
Also new: a zombie who flies across the stage, a back-from-the-dead hand balancer who contorts into unbelievable positions, and an aerialist who swings around on chains instead of the typical dainty silks.
The show kicks off with a séance gone wrong, leading into an acrobatic, energetic opening number with the cast flying and flipping through the air. Copeland said it gets the audience pumped up.
“All hell breaks loose after that,” he said.
The R-rated horror circus, littered with adult humor and bad language, is perfect for a date night or friends’ night out, Copeland said. No children under 13 are allowed, and children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
“Our performance is a good mix of scary, sexy, and funny,” Copeland said.
As the comedian for the show, Copeland knows comic relief.
He has performed in circuses for 22 years, which he said is a dream come true. He remembered wanting to be in the circus since he was 4 years old. This is now his fifth season touring with Cirque Italia.
Audience members usually don’t go to a horror circus to see comedy, he acknowledged, but he thinks his stand-up adds a nice balance.
“The horror and the thrill acts really get your adrenaline going, but then I come out with comedy to give you that moment of relief to break the tension,” Copeland described.
Preparing for his comedy routine takes work, even though it’s not the type of training his acrobatic castmates do. He’s always watching different comedians and writing new material. While traveling, Copeland also picks up pieces of local culture to use in his routine.
“I like to go out and get that laughter, get that positive feedback,” Copeland said. “That’s kind of like my drug of choice.”
During his time off, he performs in European circuses.
Copeland said he enjoys going on tour because he gets bored staying in one place for too long. He also likes to try foods from different parts of the country.
On the road, the cast lives in trailers and semi-trucks divided into bedrooms. Everyone lives on-site and is around each other 24/7, so it’s important that they’re able to be good roommates.
“It’s not like other jobs, where you go to work and then you go home,” Copeland said.
Luckily, the cast gets along well. They weed out any bad apples quickly, Copeland said, leaving room for team players who make circus life fun.
Life on tour is not always glamorous, and the repetition can be hard to deal with. The cast has been performing the same show, with some new acts, since 2022. They tour January through December before taking time off for the holidays.
“Even though I’m doing new material, I’ve been doing it since January, six or seven times a week,” Copeland explained. “It can be tough to keep it fresh, but I do my best.”
“I’m very lucky to be doing what I’ve wanted to do pretty much my entire life,” Copeland said.
Reach Staff Writer Madison White in the newsroom circus at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 4 – Sep 14, 2025.