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Circus comes to Cape Coral, Fort Myers

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The circus is coming to town.

Hosted by the Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department, the Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars will perform under the big top Monday through Wednesday at 609 N.E. Pine Island Road. The circus will then set up at the JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers to perform Thursday through Sunday.

Performances will be held daily at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.

“Our show is different every year,” Bill Carter, a spokesman for Cole Bros., said Thursday.

“If you’ve seen us in the past, we have a few old favorites, but some brand new things,” he said.

Some of the new acts include the Tabares Troupe, an international award-winning high-wire group from Columbia, along with Hugo, a 2-year-old elephant that has his own solo performance.

“We have the youngest performing baby elephant in the circus world,” Carter said, adding that Hugo also takes part in a separate act with the rest of the elephants.

It is the Tabares Troupe’s first season performing in the United States. He explained that the performance includes pyramids, three-man-high arrangements and more.

“They’re doing some tricks on the wire that have not been seen in American before,” Carter said.

The show also features a new hand balancing act.

“What’s different about this is it’s done up high,” he said, adding that the performance takes place 40 feet up into the big top. “Typically something like hand balancing is done as a ground act.”

The Fassio Family, of Argentina, will put on a dog act, with high jumps and other tricks.

“That’s new to the show this year,” Carter said.

Princess Vicenta, a cat trainer, will perform with her five white tigers.

The circus has brought back some of its daredevil audience favorites for this year’s show, including ThunderDrome, the moto-globe of death, and The Human Cannonball, a Cole Bros. tradition.

“You’ll see him in every show,” he said of performer Kellan Bermudez.

Bermudez shoots 55 mph across the entire length of the big top – a reported 5g velocity.

“It’s only about a 2 second trip,” Carter said. “It’s quite a powerful propulsion.”

The clowns Meatball, Perolito and Chips will provide comic relief.

“In the circus, you always have to have clowns,” he said.

The show is just under two hours long, with an intermission break.

“Our clowns will be out in front of the show before the show begins to meet everybody and take pictures,” Carter said.

Forty-five minutes before the show and during intermission, there will be elephant rides, pony rides and face painting for the children. Elephant rides cost $8, and pony rides and face painting are $5.

ATMs are available on site.

This is the 129th season the Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars has performed in South Florida.

“We’ve been here quite a few times,” he said.

Carter noted that the show offers something for every member of the family.

“The circus is really a piece of Americana,” he said.

The season starts in mid-March in Deland, Fla. The circus travels northbound performing in towns, then heads back south stopping at different cities. The show travels about 10,000 miles each year.

“We’re winding up our season,” Carter said, noting that Cape Coral and Fort Myers are the last on the list. “Our show is new every year, so these are your last chances in these towns to see this edition.”

General admission tickets cost $21 for adults and $16 for ages 12 and under.

Free tickets for children can be found online at: www.GoToTheCircus.com and at area businesses. According to Carter, several businesses are also carrying $5 off coupons for adult tickets.

“There are close to a million coupons in stores and businesses,” he said.

Attendees can save $5 by buying advance tickets online at least one day before the show.

“We have several different prices levels,” Carter said.

Tickets can be upgraded to reserved seats for $4 per person or VIP seats for $7 per person.

VIP seats, the best seats in the house, are the first six rows in the center of the ring.

“There are really no bad seats in the tents,” he said. “There are only 14 rows of seating.”

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: www.GoToTheCircus.com.