The circus comes to Chandler
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

The Chandler and Brownsboro Area Chamber of Commerce Pow Wow will have a new addition Oct. 13. For the first time ever, the Pow Wow will close with a circus, filling a gap in what was normally a morning and early afternoon event.

Jeff Smiley, Chamber of Commerce chairman, said the day will begin at 9 am with the gathering of a parade.

"The parade begins at 10 am," Smiley said. "It will march from Highway 31 to Winchester Park in Chandler."

The Pow Wow will take place in the park, Smiley said, and at 11 am the Master of Ceremonies will officially kick the Pow Wow off.

"We'll have a group of vendors, and we'll also have a DJ with different types of music," Smiley commented. "All this will go on till 2 pm."

The vendors will sell food, arts and crafts, T shirts, and there will even be a vendor who will make items from tin. The vendors themselves will stay open until 4 pm, Smiley commented.

The Pow Wow will also feature a kid's corral area with inflatable rides, as well as pony and elephant rides. Smiley said kids would be able to buy an armband allowing access to the corral while it is open. The area will have a petting zoo as well.

"The Golden Girls will be in there interacting with the kids," Smiley added.

When the kid's corral closes at 2 pm, the kids will be able to go to the "Lil Britches" Rodeo, a rodeo for children to participate in.

"There will be chicken chasing, bunny chasing, mutton busting and a greased pig chasing event," Smiley commented. Mutton busting will feature kids riding sheep.

After the rodeo, the kid's corral area will open again while the circus performers prepare their act.

Terri Moss, corporate office manager of Culpepper and Merriweather, the circus corporation coming to Chandler, said the circus will show twice in one evening; one at 5 pm and the other at 7:30.

"It's a single ring circus, so everyone will have a front seat," Moss said.

According to Moss, the circus will have high-wire acts, jugglers, and even performing elephants; all this and more.

"I guarantee they'll enjoy the show," Moss said of those who will attend. "There are not many tented shows going on now. They're almost extinct."

Smiley said the Pow Wows began a number of years ago, but never featured evening activities.

"I believe this will be the added event that will put the Pow Wow over the top; the Pow Wows always seemed to come to an abrupt end," Smiley said.

Tickets will be available from the Chamber of Commerce, and from advance ticket sites. Advance tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children, and if bought from Smiley Farmer's Insurance Agency in Brownsboro or Chandler Feed and Seed, advance adult tickets earn one free advance children's ticket for the household. Admission costs $11 for adults and $7 for children if bought "on circus day," Smiley said.

Tickets may also be purchased from the following locations: Brownsboro City Hall, Y's Hometown Foods, 1st State Bank, Chandler City Hall and from Citizens National Bank, though free children's tickets will not be earned with purchase of an adult's ticket from the above sites.