COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — The Tangier Shriners Circus put on an early performance Friday ahead of its official return to the MidAmerica Center in Council Bluffs this weekend.
Most in the audience were adults and children with special needs, and got a front row seat to the performances.
“We love all the lights,” Mahala Esau of Iowa Focus said.
Esau, who works with individuals with disabilities, said the circus was a great way to spend a day for her friend Deanna Sommer.
“She’s cracking up at all the clowns. She’s loving it!” Esau said.
Volunteer Breana Deming said she’s been involved with the circus since she was a child. Deming said she’s pleased with the show’s accommodations.
“I like that it’s very inclusive and it brings people that wouldn’t be able to normally come,” Deming said. “There’s kids that come back year after year and it’s just heartwarming.”
The audience was the first to see the circus since the onset of COVID-19. Last year’s event was canceled.
The circus has been a staple for more than 90 years, and is just as much fun for the performers and producers as it is for the spectators.
“We love being out here and smiling with the rest of everybody else,” Shane Johnson, Show producer said.
Now that it’s returned, organizers hope the tradition will keep smiles on faces for many more years to come.
“The best family entertainment you can get is a circus,” Johnson said.
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