Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: Even before the highwire artists defy gravity on the tightrope far above your head, or trapeze artists fly through the air with the greatest of ease, there’s plenty to love about the Zenobia Shrine Circus.

“We suggest you come early,” said Dennis Gable, circus director for the Zenobia Shriners of Northwest Ohio. “You can ride animals, get your picture taken with some of them, we have face painting, novelties, cotton candy. For the hour before the circus, there is a lot going on.”

And the clowns. Don’t forget the clowns. The Zenobia Shrine clowns number about 30 at this circus event.

“We have the friendliest clowns,” Gable promises. “We have many, many clowns that like to get their pictures taken. It’s a fun, happy place.”

The Zenobia Shrine Circus, put on by the Perrysburg-based fraternal organization, is an annual tradition in Toledo that started in 1952, and serves as a major fund-raiser for the Shriners. The eight shows, spread over four days starting with opening night Thursday at the SeaGate Convention Centre in downtown Toledo, are family-friendly favorites.

This year’s lineup comes from circus outlets, Carden Circus and Royal Hanneford Circus. The last circus manager, Jordan World Circus, provided the entertainment for more than a decade, but was unavailable this year because of a changed performance schedule, Gable said.

Expect to see the same circus thrills that conjure up childhood nostalgia for adults and kick off those unforgettable memories for kids, Gable said.

Stuntman Brian Miser will allow himself to be shot from a cannon. Contortionists will complete balancing acts that show off human dexterity. The Flying Poemas trapeze artists will take their act to the air, featuring triple-somersaulting artist Adrian Poema, Jr.

There are lions, tigers, barnyard creatures, dogs, ponies, goats, horses, camels, zebras, donkeys, and still — for this circus company — the longtime tradition of performing elephants. The famed Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus retired its elephant performances in 2016, and Illinois was the first state to ban the use of elephants in circuses and other traveling exhibitions in 2018, with other states following suit.

The thrill of the circus started in England in the 1770s, when a cavalryman named Philip Astley put on small performances featuring acrobatics and horse riding at his riding school in London. The circus was brought to America by one of Astley’s students, who performed for hundreds in the late 18th century, including President George Washington.

The traveling circus as a form of entertainment evolved in the early 19th century.

The Zenobia Shrine Circus has been performing at the SeaGate Centre since leaving its original venue, the old sports arena, where the event used to include a parade, Gable said. This year’s Shrine Circus event offers more than a dozen acts in three rings in the SeaGate, which can hold audiences of up to 2,700 visitors for each performance, said Monica Anaya, sales and marketing manager for the SeaGate Centre.

The Zenobia Shrine Circus is coming to Toledo for eight shows, beginning Thursday.(CARDEN CIRCUS)

The circus is a popular event every year for its interactive programming, which includes pony, elephant, and camel rides, Anaya said.

“A lot of times the kids can get up close and personal with the animals and clowns,” she said. “The kids actually get to be a part of the show before … and during intermission.”

Tickets to the Shrine Circus can be purchased in advance from either Zenobia Shriners directly, or through Ticketmaster. Offering reserved seating to all ticket holders allows guests to roam the attractions before the show actually starts, Gable said.

“The most important thing you will see is a lot of smiles on people’s faces. It’s a quality circus — not one that you see one day and gone the next,” Gable said. “It’s never the same.”

Zenobia Shrine Circus performances are: 6:30 p.m. Thursday; 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information or tickets, go to zenobiashriners.com or call 419-661-5060.

First Published March 11, 2019, 11:36 p.m.