The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus came to Alton, Missouri, on Monday, April 3, 2023, at Piney Creek Park. The morning of, starting at 9:30 am, individuals, schools, and families were invited to attend the tent-raising. About a dozen people showed up.
Animals
The tour guide, Leo, gave the group interesting facts, the circus group schedule, and other things. The circus has two miniature ponies, two ponies, and a donkey to keep them calm. They also have two tigers, Delilah, who was in the show, and Solomon, and one lion, Wendell. The cats don’t get fed live meat, but they do have a fasting day where the caretakers make sure the cats are digesting all their food. They also have two draft horses that performed in the show.
Circus Life
Leo went on to talk about circus life. Most of the performers travel as a family, with their kids usually being homeschooled. The tour guide said that their day consists of setting up the tent, performing, sleeping, then traveling between 10 and 100 miles to their next stop.
Tent Raising
The tent raising usually takes about three hours to set up, but due to some of their crew missing, it takes about four hours. Taking down the set up takes about half the time as setting up.
Shows
The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus travels through 13 different states during the show season with their hometown being in Oklahoma. In most towns, they only do one show, but depending on the size they may stay two days.
