THE BALLOON MAN

World's largest traditional tent circus coming to Keokuk for 2 shows Sept. 2

Friday, August 19, 2011
For the Daily Gate City
In America today, there remains only one big-tented circus, which manages to maintain a traditionally demanding road schedule.
It’s the all new 75th edition of the Carson & Barnes Circus, bringing almost 100 performers and animals to the old Keokuk Middle School grounds at 14th and Main streets in Keokuk on Friday, Sept. 2, with shows at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.
The Keokuk Kiwanis Club will use the event as a fundraiser to support many of its local community projects. In 2011, almost $500,000 dollars was raised for local hosts.
Carson & Barnes Circus travels with its city-block-long tent to some 200 towns and cities each 10-month season. Emphasis this year is on a new concept in circus presentation, which blends more than eight decades of circus tradition and family ownership with new acts and up-close audience viewing.
While other circuses have reduced their size and schedule, Carson & Barnes is still the only organization capable of moving such a huge show to a new site nearly every day, seven days a week.read more: http://www.dailygate.com/articles/2011/08/19/news/dgc933652.txt