The circus is coming to Decatur

Photo by Mike Eckels
Melvino the clown rides his unicycle in front of the Gallery Cafe on Main St. in Decatur Oct. 5. Melvino was part of the advance team for the Kelly Miller Circus which will be in Decatur Oct. 19 at Veterans Park for two big performances.
Photo by Mike Eckels Melvino the clown rides his unicycle in front of the Gallery Cafe on Main St. in Decatur Oct. 5. Melvino was part of the advance team for the Kelly Miller Circus which will be in Decatur Oct. 19 at Veterans Park for two big performances.

DECATUR -- "Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages, welcome to the greatest show on earth" will soon ring out over the countryside as the circus comes to town.

For the second year in a row, the Decatur Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a big-top circus. One of the advanced circus performers was in the area to promote this event last week.

Melvino the Clown appeared at the Iva Jane Peek Library in Decatur Oct. 5 to promote the Kelly Miller Circus which will be in Decatur for two big performances Oct. 19 at Veterans Park.

"My job is to get people excited about the circus," Melvino said. "And sometimes I bring a little bit of the circus to people who may not have a chance to go."

The Kelly Miller circus was founded in 1938 and has toured the world, bringing laughter to countless children and adults alike. It sports the traditional big-top experience which has been a part of Americana since John Ricketts opened a one-ring circus in Philadelphia in 1793.

"We're bringing African elephants, eight tigers, zebras, camels, lamas from all around the world," said Melvino. "We will also have the traditional clowns, jugglers and acrobats for the public to enjoy."

Melvino's first performance in Decatur was at Northside Elementary, where he entertained students from kindergarten to fifth grade. His repertoire included jokes, juggling and riding a unicycle (which in itself was an amazing feat of showmanship).

Sometime performers, like clowns, have to exhibit a little more restraint when dealing with very young children. It is easy to frighten them to a point of fearing clowns for life, something Melvino avoids whenever possible.

"I did a second performance for the pre-K students," said Melvino. "I had to be a little more careful with them but, all in all, they had a great time."

The Kelly Miller circus will give two performances, the first at 4:30 p.m. and the second at 7:30 p.m. For more information, go to www.KellyMillerCircus.com or 752-3912.

General News on 10/14/2015