ORANGE PARK – If case you were wondering who dropped an enormous, oversized carnival tent in the Orange Park Mall parking lot last week, it was the Cirque Italia Water Circus, a spectacular, awe-inspiring traveling circus event.

Patrons of the temporary mega-tent got a glimpse of the spectacle and were treated to a European-style rollercoaster of fun, with a wide range of emotions experienced during several acts of marvel.

Shock, excitement, and plenty of laughter were all to be expected during its four-day run that ended on Sunday afternoon.

Anticipation focused on a giant, circular stage which held 35,000 gallons of water.

The stage begins around gigantic, temporary netting, which will soon become the focal point for the show’s introduction.

As fans wait for the opening act, the makeshift arena remained dark. The introduction is a display within itself.

After a long wait, Cirque Italia started.

In a flash, electric college band-style music provided a rush similar to a live performance at Ben Hill Griffin and Doak Campbell stadiums during football season.

Then, a goosebump-raising, oceanic-themed display unfolded on the giant blue screening.

It depicted high-definition images of sea creatures for spectators with an unbeatable view of the action in the closely-configured seating arrangement. Clownfish, manatees and all that swim the deep blue was on display.

Hammerhead sharks that seemingly swam into the crowd’s faces came into view.

If that’s not enough for an opener, it was followed by a state-of-the-art light show.

Then the real action started.

Finally, the curtain rose, and the head clown and four women in long dresses snapped into a dance routine.

After that, buckle up because things were about to get wild. The next two-and-a-half hours provide entertainment to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

A clumsy, loveable clown with a fearless attitude and bizarre, pointed, unicorn-esque hairdo led the crowd, like bouncing on a giant trampoline with a diving board.

He accidentally pointed a bow and arrow toward the crowd while wearing a blindfold, and in between performances, the clown picked contestants from the audience.

He also performed other random, wild and bizarre stunts that helped make the show special. He rubbed the foreheads of bald men, danced, cracked joked on demand, providing cringeworthy and hilarious entertainment.

Cirque Italia is a wild display of entertainment that can only be seen in person.

Several high-energy actors pushed the limit of human ability, performing feats such as swinging from ropes; balancing on four-wheeled unicycles that can only be accessed from a six-step ladder; juggling with laser focus; and balancing and stacking chairs all simultaneously, only using the core strength of the upper body to perform the maneuver.

The most enthralling moment is when a giant ring of water rose from beneath the stage.

Once the contraption rose to the top of the stage, a seemingly endless stream of water rained down underneath, creating a dome of water around the performers.

The water cycled through a psychedelic combination of colors during a series of acts: blue, green, purple and yellow – all in different shapes and images.

In two water acts, a woman twirled, flipped and hung upside down from a hoop. Others performed similar feats while inside a plastic ball. A woman also hung from that plastic ball, spinning from a rope attached to her head.

The unique scene is a large portion of Cirque Italia, but not the entire show.

There were other wild acts to see. A blindfolded performer shot arrows at balloons ordained on a board. His partner was also attached to the board and was dangerously close to the firing range.

The performance was fun for the entire family, but you must see it to believe it in person.