ROEBLING Circus tents were once a familiar sight in Florence Township, where the Hunt Brothers Circus made its winter headquarters until 1978.
By:Vanessa S. Holt
Next week, a big top will be back in town, when the L.E. Barnes Circus pulls up for a two-night stay on Aug. 16 and 17 with old-time circus fun for a new generation.
Proceeds from the event will benefit the Roebling Historical Society’s Main Gate Museum project.
The society is hosting the event at the Nyikita baseball field, Hornberger and 10th avenues.
Named after co-owner Lois E. Barnes, it is the only circus named after a woman, said Dave Hoover, Ms. Barnes’ husband and circus co-owner.
Mr. Hoover is no stranger to the Florence area. It was here that he began his circus career over 30 years ago as a lion trainer with Hunt Brothers Circus.
Mr. Hoover, 63, will perform with African lions and Bengal tigers in the center ring, and son George Hoover, 30, will perform with pairs of llamas, camels, horses and zebras.
Dave Hoover and Lois Barnes met as circus performers; he was a lion trainer, she a tightrope walker.
Having worked at the Cincinnati Zoo before he joined the circus, Mr. Hoover said he would feed lion cubs from a bottle when their mother didn’t take sufficient care of them, and he decided to begin training lions as a hobby.
"I was going to try it for a year," he said. "I never stopped."
He has now been in the circus business for over 30 years and has been hospitalized 13 times for injuries sustained working with the animals.
A former consultant on big cat care for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Mr. Hoover said caring for the animals properly is a priority for the circus, which hires an animal care staff and meets all USDA animal welfare standards.
Mr. Hoover did not come from a circus family, but Ms. Barnes is the heir to the "Barnes" name associated with the circus business since the 19th century, when her family began a long career as circus performers.
Mr. Hoover also trains tigers, leopards, jaguars and bears.
He currently has six female lions and usually begins raising the cubs when they are about one and a half years old.
Mr. Hoover said he remembers Florence well as the winter quarters of Hunt Brothers Circus.
The circus used to tour from early April through Labor day.
"It was one of the big shows," he said. "Today, it would be a gigantic show by now."
This is the first year the L.E. Barnes circus is in operation. Each show lasts about one hour and 45 minutes, featuring performances in three rings beneath a traditional circus tent.
Performers include "human cannonball" Veselina Gencheva, a member of the Bulgarian Ladies Gymnastics Team in the 1996 Olympics, trapeze artists, clowns, tumblers, jugglers and animal trainers.
The Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Team, trampoline artist Armando Christiani, and the Goulavich family including aerial and hula hoop artists are among the many international performers in the circus this year.
Featured among the animal acts are performing elephants, lions, camels, llamas, zebras, horses and ponies.
A traditional circus favorite, "Liberty ponies" trained by performer Sandy Fulbright, will take to the rings, as will a "big and little" horse act with large Belgian horses performing alongside diminutive miniature horses.
The liberty act is a classic circus act featuring horses that are not on a leash, responding to voice command.
The circus also boasts what Mr. Hoover said is the only live touring circus band in the country.
"Most of the music hasn’t been played for over 100 years," he said.
The circus will travel the east coast from Maine to Florida and as far west as Kentucky this summer.
There are currently about 50 traveling circuses in the United States, where circuses are mainly considered to be children’s entertainment, said L.E. Barnes spokeswoman Marybeth MacKay.
In Europe, the circus is considered more of a theatrical experience, she said, attended by more adults than children.
As a "true American three-ring circus," the L.E. Barnes circus embraces the tradition of circuses as "good, clean entertainment," said Ms. MacKay.
Before the show, kids will have a chance to see and even ride the elephants, ponies and camels for a small fee, said spokesman Gordon MacKay.
Tickets are available in advance, $10 adults, $3 children, until Aug. 15.
Tickets are also available the day of the show, $14 for preferred seating, $12 adults and $5 children.
Call 499-2225 to order tickets. Refreshments, including hot dogs, soda, cotton candy and snow cones, will be available.