It's that time again. The circus is coming to Southwest County.

Circus Vargas is scheduled to bring its big-top tent and family-oriented entertainment to Lake Elsinore, Temecula, Perris and Hemet over the next several weeks.

In addition to the clowns, trapeze acts and the like, Circus Vargas has some new acts and performances - such as "Snake Whisperer" Ted McRae and his Burmese albino python, trained dogs and cats and gyrating trampoline jumpers, Circus Vargas spokeswoman Joan Hart said.

"We are aiming to be the best traditional circus under the big top in America today," Hart added. "We want to give the public a quality show."

Lake Elsinore shows will be in the parking lot of The Diamond baseball stadium Wednesday through Sept. 23. Perris shows will be at Perris Boulevard and the Ramona Expressway Sept. 26 to Oct. 1. The Temecula shows will be at Lake Skinner Oct. 11-15, with Hemet shows at the intersection of Florida and Palm avenues Oct. 18-22.

Circus Vargas was started in 1969 by Clifford Vargas. After Vargas died in 1989, Roland Kaiser and Joseph Muscarello took over the business until they retired in 2003.

At that point, the Flying Tabares - a trapeze artist group that performed for Circus Vargas for many years - formed Tabares Entertainment and restarted the business.

The alliance between the Flying Tabares group and Circus Vargas eventually became more intertwined. Tabares trapeze artist Nelson Quiroga of Argentina met and married juggler and seventh-generation circus performer Katya Arata Quiroga in 1993 after four years of working in the show. They've been married for about 14 years, Hart said. The couple is expecting their third child.

"Katya is the stepdaughter of Roland Kaiser," Hart added. "Katya joined the Flying Tabares act after she joined the family."

Katya Quiroga said taking over Circus Vargas was an easy decision for her and her husband to make.

"It has been an opportunity to have our own business and to have my family working together again," she added. "We want to give people that sense of family in our show. We even greet people as they come to Circus Vargas and when they leave. We want our audience to feel special."

For more information about Circus Vargas - including times, and how to purchase tickets, call (877) 468-3861 or go to www.circusvargas.org.

- Contact staff writer Lorell Fleming at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2621, or at lfleming@californian.com.