THE BALLOON MAN

The Circus Is In Town

from: kmvt.com

By Joey Martin

Jun 19, 2013

Filer, Idaho ( KMVT–TV / KTWT-TV ) ladies and gentlemen!... Boys and girls of all ages!... The shrine circus is in town!

But, while you may only see the main event, getting the circus ready starts way before the crowds arrive.

And those in the show wouldn’t have their lives any other way.

"It’s a hard life… it’s a crazy life… its fun, it’s exciting, there’s something different every day. We pretty much move everyday or every other day… it’s a 24/7 job… defiantly" said ringmaster, Tess Emerson

The main part of the show that makes a circus truly unique is the ringmaster.

But historically, the ringmaster position has been considered a man's job.

But not for this particular show… Tess Emerson is one of only a handful of female Circus Ringmasters across the county.

"You know, it’s not a common as the male ringmaster by there are a few of us out there. It’s kind of something different for the show I think, because, like you said… most people expect to see a man and… here I am… hahaha" said Emerson

But the night is not all about the show... The shrine circus is all about the cause.

"The shrine circus is a major fundraiser for the Shriners fraternity. We have about 850 Shriners throughout southern Idaho. Essentially we support out hospital, we have the fraternal side as well, we also support 22 Shriners hospitals throughout the country." Said El Korah Shrine Potentate, Ron Lester