THE BALLOON MAN

Heritage Association of Frisco cancels Kelly Miller Circus

By Elizabeth Knighten

from: scnte.com

March 23, 2012

The cotton candy, pop corn and juggling will have to wait for next year as the Frisco Heritage Association announced Thursday that the Kelly Miller Circus will not be coming to Frisco.

 Buddy Minett, president of the board for the Heritage Association of Frisco said the event was canceled due to the inclement weather DFW received throughout the week.

"The location we were going to put it on," Minett said, "with all the rain that we got this last week ... the location where we were going to put it was so muddy we couldn't even get it mowed on Wednesday.

 Minett said the organization tried to mow the open field north east of the Frisco Square, but the landscaping equipment "sunk down into the mud." With all of the circus equipment and trailers, the organization did not think the muddy land was suitable for the show.

"We were down to literally a one day time frame where we were trying to find another location," Minett said. "We just couldn't find another suitable location in the time that we had left, so the feeling was if you're one day out -- they were actually on their way here and some of the trailers and stuff actually came and we couldn't find another suitable place to do it."

The organization decided to cancel the show, which was scheduled to perform today through Sunday, on Wednesday evening. The possibility of rescheduling was considered for the fall; however Minett said the organization did not align with the circus' traveling schedule.

The organization has posted information its website to inform ticket holders of the cancellation.

"We're trying to spread the word," Minett said. "It's been mostly through electronic media because it's such short notice, and then we're going to refund all the tickets."

For ticket holders who purchased through Tom Thumb, Minett said, the process will be different than for those that purchased through the Heritage Museum.

"We know the sales we have directly from the museum," Minett said, "so it will be much easier to refund, but we'll refund everybody's money."

 According to the organization's website, www.friscoheritage.org, "The refund process will take place at the Heritage Museum (6455 Page Street) between the hours of 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. on March 23, 24, 29, 30, and 31 and will require you to return your tickets in order to receive a refund."

Any tickets unreturned after March 31, the organization will "be assumed to have been a tax deductible donation."

Minett said it's unfortunate because the circus lost several performing days two years ago when DFW received heavy snow in March.

"This year we get rain," Minett said. "Sometimes mother nature doesn't cooperate."