CENTRE HALL — The American traveling circus dates back to the early 1800s and has been a revered form of entertainment for generations. Citizens of small towns and cities alike rejoiced when they heard the circus was coming to town.
On July 13 and 14, that excitement arrived in Centre Hall when the Kelly Miller Circus raised its tent on the Grange Fairgrounds.
Started in 1938 by Obert Miller and his sons Kelly and Dory, the Kelly Miller Circus has entertained millions of American and Canadian citizens while establishing itself in the fabric and history of the American tented circus.
In 2007, the show was purchased by John Ringling North II. North’s great uncles were the famous Ringling Brothers, and his grandmother was their only sister. North grew up on the “Greatest Show on Earth,” learning circus operation from his father and uncle.
The circus has different owners now, but still honors the great traditions of its past with traditional acts such as swinging aerialists, a tightrope walker, a fire eater, a balancing act, clowns and more.
Entering the big top, one soon discovers this is old-school entertainment — there is no air-conditioning or padded seats. Attendees sit on metal bleachers with only a few large electric fans in the corners of the tent to ward off the July heat.
According to manager Oscar Perez, the circus travels with a fleet of about 30 vehicles and requires a 350-feet-square area to set up. The group’s huge blue tent measures 160 by 160 feet, is 40 feet high in the center, seats up to 1,200 people and weighs about 3 tons. The big top can be erected and dismantled all in one day by circus workers.
No animals are used in the Kelly Miller Circus, which is headquartered in Hugo, Okla. The troupe performs in midwestern states and travels as far east as New Jersey from March through October.
“Sometimes, we move every day, seven days a week,” Perez said. “It’s not an easy life.”
