Circus comes to Lake County fairgrounds
By CAITLIN MULLEN
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Animals and international performers will stop at the Lake County Fairgrounds next week to perform under the big top.
Carson & Barnes Circus will have shows Aug. 18-19 in Grayslake. Circus spokesman Mal Knopf called the show one of the last old-fashioned big top circuses in the country.
“This is our 75th year and we’ve been family-owned and operated for four generations,” he said. “It’s probably the last of the traditional circuses.”
Carson & Barnes performs about 200 shows during a nine-month season, Knopf said, crisscrossing the country. The show is aimed at kids of all ages, Knopf said, and is a two-hour, non-stop show with many acts.
“It’s a very family-oriented show,” Knopf said.
Each show will open with a parade of performers and animals in the “Salute to America,” he said.
Performers and animals make up the show’s cast, with everything from jugglers to acrobats, to contortionists and unicyclists. High-wire walkers, clowns and a variety of animals make for a full, fast-paced show, Knopf said. World-renowned Alex the Clown has a “hilarious” act, he said.
“It’s a unique experience. You’re really up close to the performers and the animals,” Knopf said.
Even as circuses compete with 3-D movies and video games, Knopf said, kids still enjoy the excitement of a circus.
“It’s one thing to look at an animal. It’s another thing to see it perform,” he said. “Just to watch their faces tells you they’re going to remember that.”
