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Upcoming events

    • 22 Oct 2025
    • 5:30 PM
    • 25 Oct 2025
    • 9:00 PM
    • Las Vegas NV - Sunset Station Hotel & Casino
    Register

    Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas Nevada sign on blue background with text Circus Historical Society Convention Las Vegas Nevada October twenty second through twenty fifth twenty twenty five tiny u r l dot com slash C H S Vegas two five

    Circus Historical Society Convention 2025

    Registration is now open for the 2025 Circus Historical Society Convention in fabulous Las Vegas from October 22 to 25!

    Program

    The convention will begin with the Opening Reception at 5:30pm on Wednesday, October 22. The convention program includes two days of circus history presentations, our annual banquet and circus memorabilia auction, attendance at a competition performance of the Vegas Variety Circus Festival, and a movie night program of historic Max Fleischer circus cartoons featuring Koko the Clown and Betty Boop, presented by Fabulous Fleischer Cartoons Restored!

    We are still accepting presentation proposals. If you would like to submit a proposal, click here. The final list of presentations and activities will be posted on this page at a later date. 

    Registration Rates

    CHS Members and their guests can register at the Early Bird rate of $225 per person through June 1, 2025. The Non-member Early Bird rate of $285 per person through June 1, 2025 includes a one-year membership and subscription to Bandwagon. Registration rates will be higher after June 1, 2025.

    The full-time Academic rate is $150, and the full-time Student rate is $125.

    Registration includes admittance to the presentation sessions, reception, banquet, auction, and a competition performance of Vegas Variety Circus Festival.

    One Day Only rates are also available to anyone who wants to attend only one day of the convention, and a Virtual rate of $50 is available to attend the October 23 presentations online via Zoom.

    Cancellation / Refunds: 50% through September 15. No refunds after September 15. 

    To register, click either the Green REGISTER button at the top left of the announcement or the Blue REGISTER button on the website page. CHS Members who are not logged on to the CHS Back Yard (members-only) site will need to authenticate to register at the Member Rate. To register by mail, click here to download the mail-in form.

    Convention Hotel

    Sunset Station Hotel & Casino at 1301 W Sunset Road in Henderson, Nevada 89014. Click here for additional hotel information. 

    The hotel rates vary depending on the day of the week. The Circus Historical Society group rate, which includes the hotel service fee, averages out to $135 per night, plus taxes, over the course of the convention. The CHS group rate will only be available until September 22, 2025 or until our room block is filled, whichever comes first. Free parking and in-room internet service are included. Click here for room reservations or call the hotel at (888) 786-7389 and use code SCICHSC.

    Auction - Advertising - Sales Information

    Contact Brian Hollifield at info@freedomauctions.com to donate items for sale at the convention auction. Contact Bruce Hawley at president@circushistory.org for advertising, sponsorships, and sales table rental information. Click here for Advertising and Sales Table rates

    We are looking forward to seeing you at the 2025 CHS Convention!

Past events

30 Mar 2025 The History of Circus Vazquez featuring Ramon Vazquez
23 Feb 2025 Black History Month featuring Bernice Collins
26 Jan 2025 A tribute to Bill Taggart - In his own words
27 Oct 2024 Nicole and Rom Portwood - A Match Made on the Red Unit
29 Sep 2024 Dave Letterfly Knoderer - Circus Artist, Author, and Speaker
28 Jul 2024 Nancy Savin: Hartford Circus Fire Survivor
16 Jun 2024 A Conversation with Lisa B. Lewis of Omnium Circus!
21 Apr 2024 A Conversation with Chuck "Chucko" Sidlow!
24 Mar 2024 Women's History Month: A conversation with animal trainer Kay Rosaire
25 Feb 2024 The History and Legacy of the King Charles Troupe
14 Jan 2024 A Conversation with Johnathan Lee Iverson
17 Dec 2023 Pallenberg Wonder Bears: Featuring Peggy Adler
19 Nov 2023 Marty LaSalle - The Big Apple Circus of Today and Yesterday!
22 Oct 2023 Maureen Brunsdale: On Writing the Biography of Art Concello
10 Sep 2023 Kenneth Feld . . . Reimagining The Greatest Show On Earth
16 Jul 2023 Elvin Bale . . . Circus Legend
25 Jun 2023 A Conversation with Sylvia Zerbini
21 May 2023 A Conversation with Circus Ring of Fame Inductee Jeanette Williams
16 Apr 2023 Circus History Live! celebrates World Circus Day
19 Mar 2023 Celebrate Women's History Month with Circus Ring of Fame inductee Peggy Williams!
26 Feb 2023 CHS Celebrates Black History Month with Cedric Walker - Founder of UniverSoul Circus
20 Jan 2023 Live from the Monte-Carlo Circus Festival!
11 Dec 2022 The history of the Nerveless Nocks with Michelangelo Nock!
20 Nov 2022 Circus History in the making featuring Chris Lashua of Cirque Mechanics!
25 Sep 2022 A conversation with Bello Nock!
21 Aug 2022 Circus Clown Danise Payne discusses her new book: Elbows in My Ears
26 Jun 2022 The Photographers!
22 May 2022 The Circus Goes Hollywood: A Conversation with Wini McKay and Chester Cable
16 Apr 2022 CHS will celebrate World Circus Day with a conversation with Paul Binder!
27 Mar 2022 Circus Historical Society celebrates Women's History Month with . . . a Conversation with Dolly Jacobs!
20 Feb 2022 Ringmasters and Role Models - A Celebration of Black History Month!
16 Jan 2022 A conversation with three new Circus Ring of Fame Inductees: Nik Wallenda, Tina Winn and George Carden!
12 Dec 2021 Circus History Live! . . . The Producers!
24 Oct 2021 Circus History Live! . . . the awards show
29 Aug 2021 Circus History Live! - Growing up Herriott - Circus Memories of Laura, Cindy, Heidi and Cristine!
25 Jul 2021 Circus History Live! - Ringling on Rails - Two Trainmasters Talk About Their Travels!
19 Jun 2021 Circus History Live! - Three, Three Ring, Ringling Ringmasters!
15 May 2021 Circus History Live! - Clowns Across 3 Centuries: Contrary, Cliché, Confusion! - A presentation by Dave Carlyon - Hosted by Chris Berry
18 Apr 2021 Circus History Live! – Insights from Circus Legends – Video interviews by circus historian Lane Talburt – Hosted by Chris Berry
20 Mar 2021 Circus History Live! - Rare Film of 1902 Ringling Bros. Circus Parade
6 Feb 2021 Circus History Live! - Ringling DAUGHTERS and Barnum & Bailey: A Conversation with Stasia Kelly and Bonnie Nicholas-Shine . . . the daughters of Emmett Kelly and Count Nicholas
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