SHOW BRINGS MORE THAN EXPECTED!

JEFF HEINZ/The Globe Gazette Getting an elephant ride prior to the start of the North Iowa Shrine Circus at the North Iowa Fairgrounds are Jaremy Kotta (right) and children Kate Kotta, Taylor Halverson, Lauryn Halverson and Ellie Kotta.

MASON CITY — Garland and Diana Thompson of Charles City hadn’t been to the circus in years.
But on Saturday they took their 3-year-old granddaughter, Payton, to the North Iowa Shrine Circus in Mason City.
“I think it’s great,” said Diana Thompson. “She (Payton) likes the ponies and the elephant rides.”
“There’s a lot more things than I expected,” such as a BMX biker doing stunts, said Garland Thompson.

JEFF HEINZ/The Globe Gazette George Carden Circus International performer Nina Carden takes photos of people holding this eight foot snake before the circus begins. Carden also performs in an aerial act during circus.
Collin Witte, 7, Rockwell, was one of those who went on an elephant ride.
He said he liked the elephant, even though the ride was “kind of wobbly.”
Mavis Hess, Forest City, came to the circus with her children and grandchildren.
“It’s fun to watch it all,” she said.

JEFF HEINZ/The Globe Gazette The Aerial Webs, an aerial act featuring women from around the world performed during the North Iowa Shrine Circus this weekend at the North Iowa Fairgrounds.
They particularly liked the sheepdogs who did tricks such as jumping through hoops and sliding down a slide, according to Hess.
“I liked the tigers,” said Evelyn Beard, 6, Clear Lake, who came with her friend, Brandi Jannsen, 4, also of Clear Lake.
Brandi’s dad, Rob Janssen, said they came to the Shrine circus in Mason City for the first time last year.
They returned this year because “She (Brandi) was wanting to ride the elephants again.”
That was fine with Janssen, because the money goes to the Shriners.
“It’s all for a good cause,” he said.
— By Mary Pieper

JEFF HEINZ/The Globe Gazette Elayne Kramer, a fifth-generation circus performer, does her contortion act during the North Iowa Shrine Circus Saturday at the North Iowa Fairgrounds.