Circus Comes To Town, Complete With Elephants And Acrobats

Exotic animals, flying acrobats and a passel of clowns will fill five rings when the circus comes to town Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Carson & Barnes Circus will raise its big top - with the help of a few elephants - at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds.

Carson & Barnes, the only traveling five-ring circus left in the country, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this tour.

The show arrives in Spokane with about 100 animals including giraffes, camels, rhinoceros, hippopotamus and 20 elephants. And don’t forget the cats - lions, tigers and a cross between the two, called ligers.

Friesian stallions, a rare breed of horse nearly wiped out in World War II by Nazi troops, also will perform at center ring.

Among the usual human entertainment of jugglers and clowns comes the Super Dragon acrobatic troupe from China, the Loyal-Repensky bareback riders from Western Europe and the Chimal Family from the Yucatan presenting a teeterboard act.

Circus fans also are invited to see the big top unfold early Tuesday morning. Two hours after sunrise, the animals will be unloaded. Three elephants will help raise the tent into the air. This show is free.

Regular performances are scheduled for 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. both Tuesday and Wednesday.

On performance day tickets can be purchased at the box office at $9, $5 for children younger than 12. Before circus day, tickets are $8, $4 for children, available at all Tidyman’s grocery stores.

, DataTimes