What’s under the big top may have evolved over the last few decades, but when the circus comes to town, it still attracts families looking to find that thrill from seeing something new and exciting — something they’ve never seen before, live and in person.
The Garden Bros Nuclear Circus has been entertaining people for more than 100 years, and when it comes to the Lake County Fairground April 21-24, it will continue in that tradition with its share of modern twists.
Showtimes are at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. April 21-22; 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. April 23; 1, 4, and 7 p.m. April 24.
“We’re everything you’d expect to see at a circus,” said General Manager James Moser. “We don’t have exotic animals anymore — just horses and dogs — but it’s a family show. There’s comedy, there are aerial acts, there’s live dancing. You’ll find lots of thrills and excitement.”
While you’ll get a traditional circus feel, the emphasis is now more on the human performers and the carnivallike atmosphere surrounding the show.
“There are moon bounces and camel rides, games for the kids and face painting,” Moser said. “It’s a place to just have fun exploring in addition to watching the show.”
The circus, which is held in one of the world’s largest climate-controlled tents, features headliners like a human cannonball, motorcycle stunt riders in the “sphere of fear” and the “wheel of death,” an act that features acrobats riding what looks like two giant hamster wheels that rise high above the ground. In all, you’ll see more than 60 performers in the three rings during the hour-and-a-half performance.
“It’s those amazing performances that people remember,” Moser said. “When you’re watching it live and in person, that makes a difference.”
Other acts include the Olate Performing Dogs, as seen on “America’s Got Talent,” and the Cossak Riders horse show. Of course, no circus would be complete without clowns.
The Garden Bros Nuclear Circus, which traces its origins to a Canadian circus, now performs nearly year-round. It expects to be on the road for 48 weeks this year, usually spending between four and 10 days in a location before packing it all up and moving on to the next stop.
“It’s the circus life,” Moser said.
Free tickets are available to children aged 3-13 who attend with a paid adult, and they are distributed through schools, day care centers, local businesses, or the circus’s website. Children under three are admitted free.
Those who arrive at the show early can take advantage of face painting and get to meet some of the stars of the show.
“We like being a part of that circus tradition,” Moser said. “We like that people come back with their families year after year. It’s why we’re still around.”
Garden Bros Nuclear Circus
When: April 21-24
Where: Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 East Peterson Road, Grayslake
Tickets: $15-$60; free children’s tickets with a paid adult
Information: gardenbrosnuclearcircus.com
Jeff Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
