The signature blue and yellow tents that...

The signature blue and yellow tents that once housed incredible

acrobats and gravity-defying performances came down Tuesday, marking

the end of a seven-week run in Costa Mesa.

Cirque du Soleil, the French-Canadian performing group, chose the

Orange County Fairgrounds as one of its tour stops for the production

“Varekai.” The wildly artistic showcase, which paid homage to the

nomadic spirit, is moving on to its next location, leaving Costa Mesa

on better terms than the last time it was in town.

“Varekai” was met with lukewarm enthusiasm this time around

because of noise complaints during its 1997 production of “Quidam.”

Neighbors were wary during this tour, and Cirque and fairground

officials moved the production farther from homes and closer to the

freeway, near Mesa Drive.

No complaints were reported during the run of “Varekai.”

The small circus city that took up the northeast corner of the

grounds is gone, as well as a troop of talented performers.

Its Costa Mesa run was successful, spokesman Tim Choi said. The

attendance was “great,” he said.

-- Lolita Harper