Big-Top Chester
<span>CHESTER -- Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages, are encouraged to come to the Cohen Complex Field 1 parking lot on Sept. 17 as the traveling Carson and Barnes Circus will stage two performances in the city.</span>
<span>Chester Recreation Director Patti Carter said representatives from the circus called her and asked if the city would be interested in hosting, as Carson and Barnes has other performances scheduled in the area.</span>
<span>The City of Chester is paying a fee of $295, with the circus giving a 20 percent cut of early ticket sales and a 10 percent cut of gate sales back to the city.</span>
<span>"I think it's a really cool thing and this one has all the animals and acrobats in it," Carter said. "I think it's a place where people from Chester and other communities can come together and watch it.</span>
<span>"I'm pretty excited about it."</span>
<span>Owned and managed by Barbara Miller-Boyd and Gary Boyd, the Carson and Barnes Circus is in its 78th year of operation. According to its website, over 30,000 performances have been presented to audiences.</span>
<span>"We travel all around the U.S. for about 40 weeks," said Traci Cavallini, daughter of the owners. "It's a family-owned business and we're excited about the opportunity to bring animals and circus artists to town."</span>
<span>Shows are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. for the one-day event, with a seating capacity of 1,800 for each show.</span>
<span>"They will be responsible for setting up, taking down and cleaning up," said Chester Mayor Tom Page. "In the absence of some activities for the kids, I thought this was a perfect time (to have a circus)."</span>
<span>The circus will also provide a $1 million insurance bond to the city.</span>
<span>"We do travel to a lot of communities the size of Chester," Cavallini said. "It's bringing what I believe to be good family entertainment to smaller communities who do not get the opportunity to see animals like elephants up close."</span>
<span>Cavallini said next month's show will feature various animal acts, trapeze artists, jugglers, clowns and other entertainment.</span>
<span>"We feature a motorcycle act called 'Globe of Death,'" Cavallini said. "Three motorcycles will perform inside it."</span>
<span>According to its website, the Carson and Barnes circus was founded by D.R. and Isla Miller. D.R.'s father, Obert Miller, began a dog and pony show in 1937 in Smith Center, Kan. and the business grew from there.</span>
<span>Isla Miller died in October 1998 and D.R. Miller followed in September 1999. The circus has had four generations of family members tour the country as a part of it.</span>
<span>"I was raised on the circus and it is kind of a nomadic lifestyle," said Cavallini. "It's a close community and it's part of who you are.</span>
<span>"You have to love it to do it."</span>
<span>Cavallini said the circus performs in a different location every day, which means her family gets to see a lot of different scenery.</span>
<span>"I love the opportunity it gives my family to travel together," she said. "My grandparents traveled, my parents, myself, my children.</span>
<span>"We see a lot of the countryside."</span>
<span>Carter said ticket prices have not yet been established, but children would get in free with every paid adult admission.</span>