Shrine Circus

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Shrine Circus
Shriners International

The Shrine Circus is a circus founded in Detroit, Michigan on Woodward Avenue in 1906.[1] It travels to roughly 120 cities per year in the United States and a separate unit travels to about 40 in Canada. It is affiliated with the former Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, now Shriners International.

History

The circus was originally a one-ring affair, but by 1925 it had grown to three rings. Despite now traveling to many cities, the Detroit affair is still the largest. In 1996, it ran for 17 days with 40 performances making it not only the oldest Shrine Circus, but also the most attended. The most famous venue to host the circus is the

Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California
, where the Southern California Shrine Circus takes place.

By the 1920s Shrine Circuses were being conducted throughout the country, and each year additional Shrine Centers introduced circuses to their communities. The first Shrine Circus each year is usually in

New Orleans, Louisiana. The 2005 season ended in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, rather than New Orleans, due to Hurricane Katrina
.

The term "Shrine Circus" is usually prefaced by the name of the host Shrine in each geographic area. Over the years many circus stars have appeared in Shrine Circuses, including:

.

References

  1. ^ Langton, Charlie; Komer, David (2022-03-31). "Detroit Shrine Circus holds free performance for those with special needs". FOX 2 Detroit. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  2. ^ Gedert, Roberta (Mar 11, 2019). "Zenobia Shrine Circus clowns around for eight shows at SeaGate". The Blade. Archived from the original on Oct 20, 2023.

External links