Advance tickets are available at the BCC through July 29, $10 for adults and $6 for children, while tickets purchased at the gate on the day of the show are $13 for adults and $7 for children.  A portion of the proceeds will be returned to the BCC, which is the event sponsor.  Call (763) 200-4271 for more information.

 

On the morning of “Show Day,” the public is invited to attend a free one-hour tour starting at 9:30 a.m., which will include the raising of the circus tent, a chance to meet some of the performers and seeing the exotic animals.

 

Bringing excitement and laughter to the children’s preview show on Thursday afternoon, Skeeter the Clown presented whistles, balanced peacock feathers, and displayed a magic coloring book. Afterwards, she also provided significant details on her circus life.

 

She attended Otterbein College in Columbus, OH, majoring in broadcasting, after which she spent more than seven years at Time-Warner, Inc.

Once she realized that her passion was elsewhere, she began to follow the adventurous route of “clowning.”  By 1985, she was a graduate of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, and she has been on the road ever since.

 

Skeeter, who travels without a partner as she does advance work for the circus, has performed in many different venues. Her cheerful and humorous character has served her well during appearances at public schools, parties, and corporate shows for approximately 30 years.

 

With the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus, however, she travels all over the world. Averaging 20,000 travel miles per year, she has visited places as far away as Alaska, Mexico, and Italy.

 

Skeeter describes the circus “Big Top,” or tent, as a billboard. At 30 feet high, 120 feet long, and 80 feet wide, it is definitely a sight visible from miles away. And eye-catching as that is, the real amazement happens once you step inside. The one-ring circus accommodates an aerialist, trapeze artistes, Leo and Skeeter the clowns, both proud graduates of the Clown College, acrobats, and of course, the animal acts.

 

The “Big Little Act,” for instance, presents an 1800-pound, 18-hands high, Friesian Shire mixed-breed horse paired with little Jasmine, a miniature horse who stands only three feet tall. And for big cat fanciers there are a brother and sister pair of rare tigers, along with a 498-pound African lion named Sir Francis.  Each of these animals, along with every other performer under the big top, is prepared to astound and delight their audience every night in the long and proud tradition of the American circus.

 

As Skeeter said; “We bring history to your own backyard.”