Maintaining a tradition more than 50 years old, the 2013 tour of the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus is Downtown for eight shows Thursday-Monday at Veterans Memorial Arena.
The 143rd edition of "The Greatest Show on Earth" has brought Ringling's "Red Unit" to Jacksonville.
It's the third stop on a two-year tour, said Feld Entertainment spokeswoman Melinda Hartline.
She led a parade of elephants and horses Tuesday morning from the circus train near Talleyrand to the Arena.
"We had record-breaking crowds in Tampa and in Orlando and we expect the same in Jacksonville," Hartline said.
More than 100 circus performers from 17 countries and more than 100 animals are part of this year's show titled "Built To Amaze."
Hartline said audiences will see an "old-fashioned circus" this week.
"We've got Asian elephants and Bengal tigers, ferrets, dogs, bunny rabbits and a big snake," she said.
Also on the program are acrobats, jugglers, high-wire aerialists and clowns.
Hartline said the show lasts more than two hours and includes about a dozen acts.
Ringmaster Andre McClain is scheduled to ride at 10 a.m. Monday in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade from the Federal Reserve Bank to the Sports Complex. There is a circus performance scheduled at 1:30 p.m. after the parade.
"It's the first time since 2003 we have had a show in Jacksonville on Martin Luther King Jr. Day," Hartline said.
Five Jax Truckies food trucks have scheduled a lunch rally at the arena from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday. McClain, circus performers and some of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey elephants have been invited to participate.
For show times and ticket information, visit jaxevents.com.
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