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'Step Right Up' to a circus, new for Indiana State Fair
 


INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A circus, for the first time, is coming to this year’s Indiana State Fair.

There will be three single-ring shows daily on the north side of the Indianapolis fairgrounds in a red-and-white striped tent with 1,600 seating capacity near the Indiana Farm Bureau building, said Sharon Smith, communications manager for the fair.

 Each circus is free with paid admission to the annual fair, scheduled August 3-19 this year. “We’re very excited about the opportunity to bring some more family fun entertainment to the fair,” she said.

Among the scheduled performers is Bello Nock, billed as the “World’s Greatest Comic Daredevil.” He’s in the Guinness World Records book for a high-wire walk over a cruise ship and is included in Time magazine’s list of America’s Best Artists and Entertainers.

Bello is also known for stunts in New York City, like hanging from a helicopter over the Statue of Liberty and rappelling off Madison Square Garden.

Smith said there will be no exotic animals in any of the shows – strictly featured are some of the world’s best acrobats, clowns, trapeze artists and other performers, she explained. The decision to offer the circus was driven by their popularity at other state fairs and to recognize the rich circus heritage in Peru, a town about 80 miles north of Indianapolis.

The community of slightly more than 11,000 residents is known as the Circus Capital of World. According to historians, the circus first came to Peru in the 1800s and the city, since 1960, has been home to the Peru Amateur Circus, which runs for eight days in July.

“This allows us the opportunity to pay homage to that history,” Smith said.

The theme for this year’s fair, in fact, “Step Right Up to the 17 Greatest Days of Summer,” is derived from the familiar announcement of ringmasters welcoming people to the circus.

Smith said the performers coming to Indiana are not with any one traveling circus. They were hand-picked from all over the world to offer specifically what fair officials believe fairgoers want to see in a circus the most. The marketing department at the fair and an outside consultant experienced at assembling circus performers for shows made all of the contacts, she noted.

Also new to the 2018 fair is Animal Town, an interactive learning experience showcasing a variety of farm animals like cows, pigs, chickens, sheep, goats, rabbits and llamas. Folks can get up close and personal with the animals and engage in a live chat to learn about each of them.

“It’ll be a great experience for young and old alike,” said Smith.

The concert lineup at the fair will be announced in the coming weeks.

Indiana’s state fair is the sixth-oldest in the nation. It’s been held every year since 1852 except for 1861, during the Civil War, and 1942-45 because of World War II, according to fair officials.

The first fair was held in what’s now known as Military Park in downtown Indianapolis. The fair has also been held in other Indiana cities, including Terre Haute in 1867; Fort Wayne in 1865; New Albany in 1859; Madison in 1854; and Lafayette in 1853.

The fair moved to its permanent present location at E. 38th Street and Fall Creek Parkway in 1892. Improvements at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in recent years included a $63 million renovation of the 1939 Coliseum, which seats up to 8,200 for concerts and other events, and a $10 million youth arena for 4-H horse and pony contests.

The Indiana State Fair celebrates Hoosiers’ spirit and agricultural heritage. These 17 days promote them to hundreds of thousands of people across Indiana and beyond. For more information, directions and schedules, visit www.indianastatefair.com

5/23/2018