The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Touchet Valley residents showed up in big numbers for the rare chance to see the circus and get acquainted with some of the world's most exotic animals in Dayton on Thursday.

Local promoters said more than 3,000 visitors took in one of two Carson & Barnes circus shows that ran the gamut from spectacular trapeze and trampoline acts to elephant rides and skateboard gymnastics.

"Many people after the circus told us that they couldn't believe such a good circus stopped in Dayton," local organizer Doug Johnson said

"It was probably the first circus we've had in town in about 15 years," said Amber Phinney of the Chamber of Commerce. "The tent holds 2,200 people and it was pretty full for both show times, the afternoon and evening."

Chamber director Claudia Nysoe said Dayton will try to lure the circus back in the future.

Carson & Barnes circus usually goes to smaller cities, festivals and county fairs, but they don't always get the kind of reception they got in Dayton, Johnson said.

"The Carson and Barnes circus organization said that inside, the tent was fuller than it had been in other towns in the past couple weeks," he said.

For most people inside the big top, the elephants may have been the main attraction, although Johnson heard plenty of compliments about other acts.

"The elephants may have drawn a few more favorable comments than anything else," he said.

The well-trained pachyderms gave rides and performed in front of a raucous clapping and cheering crowd.

Early in their performance, the elephants sat with their front feet up in the air, seemingly waving at the crowd. Later, they ran in a circle with their long trunks interlocked with their tails.

Three of the elephants laid down for the crowd and balanced on each other with their feet on each others' backs.

The trapezes and gymnasts were just as adept at eliciting oohs and aahs.

The high-wire trapeze act featured two men and one woman swinging high above the crowds, doing flips with blindfolds and 360-degree twirls in the air. Alex the clown got into the act, attempting a few flips that ended with him hitting the safety net below.

Two gymnasts performed without a safety net, keeping their balance inside giant cage-like wheels that spun and twirled to the top of the tent.

The male gymnast, the more daring of the two, climbed outside his cage at one point to skip rope.

Several female gymnasts, dressed in decorative and colorful suits, dangled from the top of the tent throughout the performance. Clinging to drapes, they flipped through a number of routines, hanging on by a single arm in some cases.

A very flexible male gymnast went through various poses that would make an advanced yoga instructor proud. With arms and legs seemingly made of rubber, he curled himself into a tiny ball that fit inside the plastic box.

Alex the clown made one of his memorable appearances while dressed in a Superman outfit, doing front and back flips on a large trampoline.

A balancing act in the middle of the ring featured a male gymnast balancing atop as many as six canisters and two platforms.

The classic tightrope had the gymnasts running in place, skipping rope and riding a bicycle for a few feet backwards.

A dog trainer paraded out with several canines that raced around the ring following commands while jumping over barriers.

A similar pony act was a sight to behold as they raced around the ring and danced together in a circle, crossing and interweaving amongst each other.

The entire cast of circus performers - the women in butterfly outfits, peacock costumes and other fancy dress and the men in circus suits of all different colors (including red, white and blue) -- opened and closed each performance by parading in and out of the ring.

A large flag dropped from the top of the tent at both occasions.

A petting zoo of goats, small Brahma bulls, llamas, donkeys and miniature horses was a big attraction before the show, during intermission and after the show.

"Where we're located, we're not real close to any zoos," Johnson said. "So the petting zoo and all of the animals were real popular with all of the kids."

Rides on camels, elephants and small ponies also delighted the youngster during breaks in the action. Outside the tent, a huge blow-up jumping castle kept the kids busy.

" Everyone that we've talked to about the circus had a good time," Phinney said.

The circus had come from La Grande, Ore., and was headed to Boise, Ida. Dayton was the only stop in Washington, she said.