‘It was wonderful’

The Peking Acrobats seem to spend more time in the air than on the ground — at least during their performances.

Thursday, the 12 youngsters group gave three performances at the Orange County Fair’s Park Plaza. The crowd sat with jaws agape as they twirled and tumbled across the stage, throwing and catching each other frequently. They ranged in age from 9 to 21.

Tension ran high as one of acrobats stood on her hands from the top of a stack of upended chairs that towered about 30 feet high. She then decided she needed only one hand to support her weight, and removed the other as proof. The crowd sat riveted to their seats until she completed the balancing act.

“It was wonderful and unique,” said Vicki Sach, who lives in Los Angeles county. “I haven’t seen anything like it. I liked the chair balancing routine. If she would have fallen, it would have been disastrous. They have to put in so much concentration, and keep their minds in it.”

Sach came to the show with her grandchildren, who seem to like the show as much as she did.

“I like the bike routine,” said Jessica Sachs, 9.

This bike routine visibly enthralled the audience . At first, one of the boys in the group got onto the bike and began to ride it with a few of the younger ones hanging off him.

As he rode around in circles, the others jumped on one-by-one and stacked themselves around the rider until 10 were onboard.

The youngest performers were shuttled around more than the others. At one point, one of the older acrobats got on his back, and put his feet straight into the air so that his body formed a 90-degree angle. The younger acrobatic sat on his upturned feet and did flips repeatedly as the older performer launched him upward.

The youngsters also tried their hands at juggling hats — while they were wearing them.

Even the soundmen who have travel with the acrobats are still impressed by the acrobats.

“I’ve done the sound for their show for five or six years, and it’s always awesome,” said Vick Lopez, who operates their sound box.

Things to Do Today

Raymond Crowe: Unusualist

If you like predictable performances, this may not be the show for you. But if you’re a fan of illusions, come check out Raymond Crowe at Park Plaza at 8 and 10 p.m.

Plant Competition

If you think you have a green thumb, come try your hand the outdoor plant competition at the Centennial Farm. The event is all day, at Gallery 15.

Mixed Martial Arts

If you want to see some fists fly but you don’t want to get hurt, come to the Action Sports Arena to check out some mixed martial arts exhibitions at 7 p.m. Admission is first-come, first served, but reserved seating starts at $12.50.