A night under the big top

Wednesday night will be a night of wild animals, magic tricks and feats of derring-do under the big top as the Carson & Barnes Circus returns to Creston for two shows.

The self-proclaimed "world's biggest big-top show" will perform at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at Creston Elementary and Middle School, 805 Academic Ave. The circus last visited Creston in August 2013.

KSIB will be sponsoring the event. Chad Rieck, KSIB general manager, said the show has experienced great local reception in the past, which is why it's back so soon.

“They like to go where people want to go see them, and we've always had a strong history in this area of people wanting to go," he said. "People like it, especially the fact that they still bring the live animals. Some of the live circuses have gone away from that."

Rieck said the show's timing, right before Fourth of July weekend, should be good for many families.

"We don't have the carnival anymore, so this will be kind of a nice deal to have for the kids pre-Fourth of July," he said.

The shows will last about two hours each. A pre-show midway will allow circusgoers to see and touch exotic animals and, for a small charge, take an elephant or pony ride. Rieck said the public is invited to watch the unloading and setting up of the tent, which he said normally begins around 8:30 or 9 a.m. the morning of the show. KSIB will provide updates throughout the day to let listeners know what is going on.

Roots of the Carson & Barnes Circus go back to 1937, when Obert Miller, current Carson & Barnes co-owner Barbara Byrd's grandfather, began a dog and pony show in Kansas. Today, the Carson & Barnes circus travels eight and one-half months out of the year to more than 200 locations around the United States.

Byrd said that from motorcycles to pirates to the beloved performing elephants, there's an act in this year's show for everyone.

“We have a fantastic show that really appeals to all generations," she said. "It's a real unique opportunity to just come out and have a good, old-fashioned fun time at the circus."

New to the show this year is Cirque du Soleil veteran and bounce juggler Luis Miguel Terry. Perennial favorites include the Dominguez Extreme Riders motorcyclists, the trapeze artist Gabriella Cavallini and the three performing Asian elephants, led by ninth-generation circus performer Armando Loyal.

A portion of the show's proceeds will support the Endangered Ark Foundation, which was founded in 1993 by Byrd's late parents, D.R. and Isla Miller, to provide the circus' pachyderms, as well as any others that need a home, a place to go when they retire.
Advance tickets are available at Hy-Vee and Fareway at $12 for adults and $6 for children.

Tickets at the door on circus day will be $16 for adults and $10 for children. See the ad on page 6 of today's paper for a buy-one-get-one-free deal on adult tickets.

For more information about Carson & Barnes, and to learn about how to get free child's tickets, go to www.bigtopshow.com.