Come to the circus tonight at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti

Posted on Fri, Aug 7, 2009 : 10:33 a.m.

Come to the circus tonight at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti

By Tammy Mayrend

The kids and I headed out this morning to see the Kelly Miller elephants (or specifically Lisa the Asian elephant) putting up the poles in the big top. I considered it a "mini behind-the-scenes" of sorts. I'm sure all the circus folk were up MUCH earlier than we were but the experience was like waking up with the circus, only without all the "work"!

The tigers were out, and were quite active - Especially when a stranger and his large snack ('er I mean dog) walked by. The Belgian horses and pony-ride ponies were pleasantly munching the grass and Dolly the lama was eyeing all of us rather suspiciously. The baby buffalo was also out and about, but a little more reserved than the other circus animals!

Before we got to step into the tent to watch Lisa put up the big-top, Crazy Eddie talking to the group.

He spoke about the history of the Kelly Miller Circus, a little about the acts and a lot of circus animal information - It sure did spark our interest!

We also heard a "hint" today - You can buy "upgraded" ring-side seats (which are more comfortable and also right in the action) for an additional $2 each, although he assured us the other 1,200 seats had the same great view. Upgraded seats can be purchased at the ticket booth or the night of the show as you walk into the big-top!

Advanced tickets sales are no longer available; however tickets for either the 4:30 or 7:30 show can be purchased at the circus ticket booth any time today for$7/children and $14/adults.

For those of you that can not make the circus tonight in Riverside Park, the show is moving this weekend to Saline, MI at the UAW Local Grounds. Think about stopping by tomorrow morning early to see the big-top be raised by Lisa the elephant as well, it WAS a lot of fun...

Tammy Mayrend is a Search Marketing professional who blogs on local activities for families at annarbormom.com.

photos by Tammy Mayrend photo 1: Kelly Miller Circus elephants photo 2: Kelly Miller Circus tigers Photo 3: Crazy Eddie

Comments

Elena

Tue, Aug 11, 2009 : 1:26 p.m.

I, too, made the choice to take my daughter to the circus as a young child. She loved seeing the animals so much and being a smart kid in an age where research on the Internet was available to her - she learned firsthand how these animals are abused and improperly cared for. She is now an honor student studying zoology at MSU and protests the Circuses with friends every chance she gets. I have learned a lot from her.

Tammy Mayrend

Mon, Aug 10, 2009 : 1:15 p.m.

Thanks for all your comments all. I will only say that I saw well fed, well taken care of animals at the KMC on Friday - I will agree that the Tiger enclosure could have been improved upon though! As for attending a circus with my children. I am so grateful that we live in a society where we can each make our own choices. I am also happy to be able to give my children MANY experiences in life - Exposure to things is important to me, so that my kids have an opportunity to ask questions and grow to be well informed individuals able to make their own choices in society. Hopefully they will mostly be good choices, but isn't that what parenting is all about?

Laura Bien

Mon, Aug 10, 2009 : 9:39 a.m.

I don't generally agree with PETA's methods, but their website on circuses offers some good information and ratings on the various circuses. timjbd linked to it, above: http://www.circuses.com/ From the Kelly Miller page: "Kelly Miller Circus has failed to meet minimal federal standards for the care of animals used in exhibition as established in the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited Kelly Miller Circus for failure to handle animals in a manner that is safe for the animals and the public, failure to provide veterinary records, and failure to provide structurally sound enclosures. Kelly Miller Circus leases animals from its sister circus, Carson & Barnes." There's more detailed info on the site about this circus's specific violations through the years. I live within walking distance of this park but will never spend a dime on any circus.

Sharon B.

Mon, Aug 10, 2009 : 7:28 a.m.

circuses, bullfighting, greyhound racing--how long are we going to make defenseless animals suffer for our entertainment?? Really, a travesty!

Tammy Mayrend

Sun, Aug 9, 2009 : 9:04 p.m.

To learn more about how the KMC takes care of their animals they have a dedicated page on their website too: http://www.kellymillercircus.com/animal_care.php

leaguebus

Sun, Aug 9, 2009 : 5:20 p.m.

This circus used to do a parade in downtown Ann Arbor every year and I have a picture of my kids on the back of Lisa quite a few years ago. They loved it! I too have seen the KMC people love and pamper their animals. Timjbd,some people cage and beat dogs, should we make it illegal for all people to have dogs. There are small percentage of bad people that abuse all different kinds of animals, go after them and leave the rest alone.

Tammy Mayrend

Sat, Aug 8, 2009 : 9:27 a.m.

Thank you for your opinion "timjbd" there are many wrongs in this world, however I was impressed with the way the KMC folk talked about AND treated their animals. There was a true love and admiration on the part of our host Friday morning. We went to the show last night too and found the same!

timjbd

Sat, Aug 8, 2009 : 9:21 a.m.

Seriously, it's time for circuses to end. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fn_s5zQmUc This particular circus has a better record than Ringling Brothers but that's not saying much: http://www.circuses.com/ Using an elephant- which spends its very long life in tight cages, beaten daily and chained at the foot- is no way to entertain children.