Carson & Barnes Circus visits Zito Center Oct. 22

HUGO, Okla. - As part of their 76th consecutive year of touring the U.S., Carson & Barnes Circus, the largest traveling big top tent circus in the country will visit Plaquemine on Oct. 22 at the C.M. "Mike" Zito Multi-Purpose Center.

The center is sponsoring the circus to help raise money for the group's various community projects.

Show times are scheduled for 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.

Tickets can also be purchased online at the Circus website at www.BigTopShow.com. Tickets bought online incur a per-ticket charge of $1.50.

Carson & Barnes is "The Real Circus," with everything fans expect to see under the big top - clowns, acrobats, aerial daredevils, spectacular pageantry and a cast of amazing performing animals led by the biggest stars of the show, Asian elephants.

Starring in this season's show is "Alex the Clown." Like many of those appearing in the Circus, Alex Acero has spent his life performing. As a headliner in Las Vegas and with several of the largest Latin American circuses, Acero keeps the children laughing while keeping the adults on the edges of their seats with his daring gymnastics.

Carson & Barnes owner Barbara Miller-Byrd is the third generation of her family to run the circus. Her daughters, Traci and Kristen, who also travel with the show, will be the fourth generation to run the nation's largest touring tent circus.

One of the most popular attractions at the circus is before the show. The circus travels with a menagerie of exotic animals including a rare Sicilian donkey, two llamas, a miniature zebra and a standard-sized zebra, an alpaca, two camels, a half-dozen pygmy goats, and Katy, the pygmy hippo. Small bags of dry food can be purchased and are guaranteed to get the furry friends' attention.

Also on the Circus midway, the little tykes can ride a miniature train or saddle-up for a Shetland pony ride. For older kids there's the SuperSlide.

Towering above all along the midway are those magnificent Asian elephants and the camels. Both can be ridden with the right ticket in hand.

With a cast of dozens and 25 vehicles loaded with everything from popcorn bags to grandstands, exotic animals, hundreds of costumes and tons of equipment for the performers, and even the big top tent itself, every day is an adventure.