The circus holds a fascinating chapter in America’s history. Recently, that history has included the growth of the theatrical Cirque du Soleil and its addition of technology to the arena, and the finale of the legendary Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
There is one thing in the circus world that has stayed the same for almost 60 years. That is, every July the people of Miami County put on a circus.
Their circus is the Peru Amateur Youth Circus, the highlight of the Circus City Festival from Friday through July 22. The festival will feature 11 performances of the circus, plus the Circus City Festival Parade on July 22, and a carnival midway downtown during the festival.
The circus is an action-packed, three-ring extravaganza with acts ranging from cute and funny, to daring and heart stopping.
There are tumbling tots, clowns of all ages, unicycle troops, jugglers, gravity-defying feats on ladder, rope, trapeze and high wire, plus innovative new acts.
“This year’s circus has over 200 performers, ages 7 to 21, all from Miami County,” said Sandy Ploss, executive secretary of Circus City Festival Inc.
This circus is a nonprofit that has a policy of taking all applicants and giving each youth time in the spotlight. To do this, it takes even more volunteers who help with everything from fundraising and costumes, to lighting, rigging and ticket sales.
Tickets to the Peru Amateur Circus are $5 on family night, which is Friday. Reserved tickets to other performances are $11 to $15. Tickets are available at
Starting in the late 1800s, a number of circuses spent the winter in the Peru area. These included Ringling Brothers and Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Wagons were painted, acts were developed, and animals were trained before winter broke and the next tour started.
One circus was even based in Peru.
However, by the 1940s there were fewer circuses in the U.S., and those that remained fled the cold winters of Indiana for warmer Florida climates for their winter grounds.
In the 1950s, downtown merchants and nostalgic residents began promoting a circus festival and parade. The festival launched and quickly went from having one circus act to an entire circus, and in 1960, the Circus City Festival Inc. was created “with the objective of reawakening our rich Circus Heritage.”
Since then, the amateur circus and the festival have been an annual highlight in Peru.
The city’s circus heritage is kept alive in other ways. One of those is the Circus City Festival Parade stepping off at 9 a.m. July 22.
Many of the vintage circus wagons that will be in the parade are from the collection of the International Circus Hall of Fame on the former circus winter quarters in Peru.
The International Circus Hall of Fame, 3076 E. Circus Lane, is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday until July 31. Admission is $5 for adults, $2.50 for children ages 6-12, with children 5 and under admitted free.
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