THE BALLOON MAN

‘World’s funniest horse’ among Cole Bros. circus acts

‘World’s funniest horse’ among Cole Bros. circus acts The Cole Bros. Circus performs as part of the 63nd Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival on the grounds of Wilmington International Airport Thursday, April 8, 2010. By Alex PomplianoAlex.Pompliano@StarNewsOnline.comFriday, April 1, 2011 One of the Azalea Festival’s most anticipated events is returning again this year. The Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars – so named because its dome interior replicates a deep blue nighttime sky peppered with sparkling stars – will bring elephants, aerial ballet and clowns and more to Wilmington April 7-10. Billed as “the world’s largest circus under the big top,” the circus will cover more than an acre of ground. Nine two-hour performances will feature costumed characters, acrobatics, clowns and an international cast of entertainers with their trained and exotic animals. For more than 125 years Cole Bros. has been hailed as one of the country’s most beloved circuses. Last year, John Pugh, president and CEO of Cole Bros., was inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame, which stated: “Few have done more to preserve the traditions of the traveling, 3-Ring, Tented American Circus.” In addition to drawing some of the biggest crowds at the Azalea Festival, the highlights of this year’s circus will include a talented trio of elephants, motorcycle maniacs in the Globe of Death, clever canines, teeterboard acrobats, trapeze artists, aerial gymnasts, the world’s funniest horse and The Human Cannonball.