The Kelly Miller Circus rolled into Bruce Ream Memorial Park along Terwilliger Avenue in Hampshire for three shows this week.
The first performance was held on Wednesday night and two shows were scheduled for Thursday.
Circus acts included tigers, clowns, aerial acrobatics by Zaya and Mindeh from Mongolia, aerial ballet by the North Starlets, juggler Nicolas Souren, trapeze artist Kimberly Souren, camels, zebras, dancing elephant Anna Louise, and juggling by Abraham Gebre from Ethiopia.
On Wednesday night, a ventriloquist from Finland, Sebastian & Friends, invited two audience members into the ring to help him sing a song. Circus clown Fagolino pulled three men from the audience to perform dance moves to ballet and songs like “Gangnam Style” and “Y.M.C.A.”
Hampshire resident Linda Gustafson brought her grandchildren, Ashlyn, 9, and Fred, 7, to the circus on Wednesday.
“We also came to the circus in Hampshire last year,” Gustafson said. “My grandchildren like the acrobats, while I like the tigers and clowns. I like how they run smaller acts in between the bigger acts.”
Refreshments and circus souvenirs were available on the midway along with elephant and camel rides. Jimmy Martin, 4, and his aunt, Michelle Dixon, both of Hampshire, took an elephant ride before they went inside the big tent to watch the show.
Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.