Watch the elephants, and the raising of the big top
The Kelly Miller Circus officially rolls into town on Monday, March 26, at the Red Line Raceway in Caddo Mills.
The Royse City Chamber of Commerce recently signed a contract with the Kelly Miller Circus for the exhibition of the all new 2012 show.
Everyone is invited to come out and watch the animals being unloaded and fed, and the elephants raising the big top. Activities will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the tent will be raised at 9. Guides will be furnished for school groups and anyone attending.
The traditional “old style” circus will present two performances – one at 4:30 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are sold at the Chamber office, located at 216 N. Arch St. in Royse City; Stonebrook Learning Center; RC Hardware; Paynes Supermarket Caddo Mills; City Hall; Exxon TigerMart; and Rockwall County Helping Hands Thrift Store in Rockwall.
Advance tickets are $10 each for adults; $6 for children under 12. Tickets purchased the day of will be $15 for adults; and $7 for children.
Chamber director enjoys a little “clowning around”
Julia Bryant shares photos, commentary from Carlee & Charlie’s pre-show visit March 12
There is something about going to a Circus that just stirs up something inside of me.
From the moment I hit the Bigtop and smell those familiar scents ~ sawdust, popcorn, cotton candy and well, the elephants ~ I begin a transformation from a woman into a child full of anticipation and excitement. 
Luckily, I am able to get my circus fix every year when the group from Kelly Miller rolls into town.
They have always been a very professional group and so easy to work with, not to mention the fabulous world-class show they present.
Their team works hard to set up an entire show, have two performances, and tear down and move on to the next town all in one day.
And this isn’t just people, tents, and trailers – they are also caring for elephants, tigers, zebras, camels and dogs. It is truly a sight to see.
Well, this year Kelly Miller sent along a couple of real clowns to hype us up for the big day that is coming on March 26.
The husband and wife team of David and Sherri Shepard, better known as “Carlee and Charlie” delighted us with their antics March 12 as they made a visit to three of our pre-schools and the city library. 
These two travel around the country two weeks ahead of the Circus giving the townsfolk a little insight into just what goes in to making the Circus click.
They really just have fun, though – doing a little juggling; playing with their dog “Deogee”, (D O G, get it?) the marionette; performing a little slapstick; and letting the older children even take part in the plate spinning act.
What I found was that Carlee and Charlie can perform to any age group and they most certainly break the stigma of a “scary clown.”
It was a treat to watch those little faces as the show progressed. Any fears the audience may have had were gone quite rapidly as these trusting clowns made their way into the hearts of the children.
Show after show, this clown team had just as much energy, patience and love as the one before. And time after time, the children laughed, applauded and gave many hugs and high fives as the show came to an end. 
It was a pleasure being a part of this traveling Circus act for a day. I can hardly wait until they come back next year!
Written by Julia Bryant, Executive Director, Royse City Chamber of Commerce; edited for publication by Blue Ribbon News, all rights reserved.
To submit your news and events, email editor@BlueRibbonNews.com.
Royse City Chamber brings all new Kelly Miller Circus to town added by Editor on
View all posts by Editor →