Evansville's Hadi Shrine Circus moving to a new tent
JAMES MCAULEY / Courier & Press The Hadi Shrine Circus, shown here during a November2010 show, will come to Ford Center and leave behind the obstructed-view seats of Roberts Stadium. By Richard Gootee
Evansville Courier & Press
Posted October 23, 2011
It's been a while, but moving to a new facility is nothing new to the annual Hadi Shrine Circus, which is scheduled for Thanksgiving weekend in the new Ford Center.
"We've had a history in Evansville with different venues," said Shriner Brian Ball. "This is 78th circus and we started with our very first circus on Riverside Drive, then we moved to the coliseum a few years later and then we moved to Roberts Stadium when it opened in 1957. Now we're just following suit and moving right into the Ford Center."
This year's eight-show run starts with a 3 p.m. opening performance on Thanksgiving Day and includes three shows on Friday and Saturday. The circus closes with a Sunday matinee performance at 3 p.m. Ball said there was no hesitation to become one of the first events during the Ford Center's opening month and that he hopes all spectators have an enhanced viewing experience compared to past years.
"There is really not going to be a bad seat in the house. In the past, there have been obstructions just because of the way Roberts Stadium was set."
Just like at Roberts Stadium, there is enough space to serve as an animal staging area, Ball said.
"We might need a couple extra external places to keep mechanical equipment and vehicles and things like that, but otherwise I think it will work out well."
It will also be the only event in the Ford Center planned this year without the sheet of ice used for Evansville Icemen home hockey games. Normally when the building is being used for other events, the ice lies protected underneath a layer of insulation.
Ball said the Shriners have already toured the Ford Center and are excited about their first show in the new place.
"Right now, we're not seeing anything that we can't do that we have done in the past. It's going to be a great circus this year. We're going to continue to bring some of the best acts that we can find — nationally and internationally — to the Evansville area for everybody to see at this year's circus."
"We've had a history in Evansville with different venues," said Shriner Brian Ball. "This is 78th circus and we started with our very first circus on Riverside Drive, then we moved to the coliseum a few years later and then we moved to Roberts Stadium when it opened in 1957. Now we're just following suit and moving right into the Ford Center."
This year's eight-show run starts with a 3 p.m. opening performance on Thanksgiving Day and includes three shows on Friday and Saturday. The circus closes with a Sunday matinee performance at 3 p.m. Ball said there was no hesitation to become one of the first events during the Ford Center's opening month and that he hopes all spectators have an enhanced viewing experience compared to past years.
"There is really not going to be a bad seat in the house. In the past, there have been obstructions just because of the way Roberts Stadium was set."
Just like at Roberts Stadium, there is enough space to serve as an animal staging area, Ball said.
"We might need a couple extra external places to keep mechanical equipment and vehicles and things like that, but otherwise I think it will work out well."
It will also be the only event in the Ford Center planned this year without the sheet of ice used for Evansville Icemen home hockey games. Normally when the building is being used for other events, the ice lies protected underneath a layer of insulation.
Ball said the Shriners have already toured the Ford Center and are excited about their first show in the new place.
"Right now, we're not seeing anything that we can't do that we have done in the past. It's going to be a great circus this year. We're going to continue to bring some of the best acts that we can find — nationally and internationally — to the Evansville area for everybody to see at this year's circus."
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