THE BALLOON MAN

Big top to rise in Mendon tomorrow
 

By Jessica Trufant/Daily News staff
Milford Daily News
Posted Jun 25, 2012
MENDON — Come one! Come all! The big top will rise on the grounds of the Mendon Country Gift Barn, and the shows inside will bring old-fashioned family fun to town tomorrow.
The Mendon Lions Club is sponsoring the Kelly-Miller Circus for the fifth consecutive year on the grounds of the Mendon Country Gift Barn.
 The day is always a big draw for the community and it attracts up to 400 people, Lions Club member Richard Ferrucci said.
“Back years ago when we celebrated our 325th anniversary, we had the circus, and everyone loved the idea of it,” Ferrucci said. “So we contacted Kelly-Miller because they have a tremendous track record and they are a great family to do business with, and it’s a good fundraiser for us.”
 An Oklahoma-based traveling circus, the Kelly-Miller was founded in 1938 and is now in its 74th year.
The circus features elephants, tigers, horses, performing dogs and a cast of international circus stars.
 “They have the clowns, trapeze acts, animal acts and all the fun stuff that goes along with the family circus,” Ferrucci said.
There will be two, 90-minute shows, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
There will also be a free tent-raising show on tomorrow at around 8 a.m. when the circus will be set up.
“The public is welcome to drive in and be part of the circus experience,” Ferrucci said. “It’s quite a thing, and lots of people come out.”
The event is also a fundraiser for the Mendon Lions Club, which contributes to local charities and eye-related research.
Since 1953, the Lions Club as a whole has raised $29 million to further eye research, according to Ferrucci, and Mendon’s club has raised $160,000 for the cause.
Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $6 for children until today at 5 p.m. at Mendon Country Gift Barn, Warren’s Barber Shop, The Bark Ark and Mendon Greenhouse. Tickets will be $14 for adults and $9 for children on the day of the show at the box office.
Mendon Country Gift Barn is at 5 Hastings St.
Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x1222857965/Big-top-to-rise-in-Mendon-tomorrow#ixzz1ynlqDHHu