Circus visits Atmore

Published 11:51 am Saturday, October 29, 2011

The Lewis and Clark Circus spent the day Friday setting up for the weekend’s shows.

Exotic animals and thrilling performers took over the field behind the Atmore Area YMCA today as the Lewis & Clark Circus will presented two performances Saturday for the Atmore community.

The circus, which arrived on Friday and put on two performances Friday night, features several different acts that include camels, tigers, aerialists and flamenco dancers.

Atmore’s YMCA sponsors the circus’ performances and also uses the show as a fundraiser.

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With use of the land, the circus allows the YMCA to bring in some revenue from the event that tends to draw a crowd, Atmore Area YMCA manager Ross Terry said.

“It’s a fundraiser that we put on every two years,” he said. “Lewis & Clark contacts us to find out if we are interested, and they take care of the work with advertising and getting word out. We provide the space for the event and earn a certain amount of revenue from the ticket sales.”

Lewis & Clark visits all of the schools in the area and provides a free ticket for one child with the requirement that the child is accompanied by an adult, who must purchase a ticket.

Even with this requirement, the event usually brings in a large group for each performance, Terry said.

“The attendance is usually strong,” he said. “The last show two years ago drew a great crowd. We are hoping this year’s show will bring in a good crowd to help us raise some funds to help us here at the YMCA.”

Tickets to the circus were $10 with the shows running at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The funzone at the circus opened one hour before showtime, and the performances took place in the main tent.