MOOSEHEART, IL -- When a circus tent first made an appearance at Mooseheart, it was for the day the campus was dedicated and was by far the most significant structure on the property.

On that date, July 27, 1913, the tent (rented from Ringling Bros.), housed dignitaries including U.S. Vice President Thomas Marshall, as well as the first 11 children who would call Mooseheart home.

Ninety-seven years later, the big top is back, but this time it will house clowns, elephants and all the other trappings of the Carson & Barnes Circus, which comes to Mooseheart for seven performances, Friday through Sunday, Aug. 13-15.

"This is the second-largest traveling circus in the United States," Mooseheart Executive Director Scott Hart said. "We're pleased that they're coming to Mooseheart. We really thought about our Centennial celebrations, which are in 2013, and where it all began at Mooseheart -- and how do we go about recreating the dedication ceremony. There was a moment where we said 'we need to have a traveling circus.'"

Carson & Barnes has been traveling the U.S. since 1937. Performances take place under a 144-ft. by 180-ft. tent that allows for seating of 2,200. At Mooseheart, the tent will be situated toward the south end of the campus, with entrance to the performances off Mooseheart Road.

The Carson & Barnes show features animal acts, aerial performers and kid-friendly Alex the Clown.

"We wanted to build the relationship with Carson & Barnes now, as we start to build toward 2013," Hart said. "We're excited and the kids at Mooseheart are excited about the circus coming to town. It's something that hasn't happened for a long time."

Performances are at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 13; 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30 on Aug. 14; and 1:30 and 4:30 on Aug. 15.

"It's one of those American pastimes as a kid, being able to go to the circus," Hart said. "You get to see the trapeze artists and clowns and elephants and be entertained by everything you see. Our every expectation is that this will be something families will want to come and see."

Tickets may be purchased in advance as well as at the circus grounds on the day of the performance. Advance tickets are $10 and may be purchased either online by clicking here or by calling 630-966-2292.
ADVANCE SALES HAVE ENDED--TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE GATE!
Tickets purchased on-site, just prior to the performance, are $15. Parking is $5 per vehicle.

The Moose organization has paid a flat fee for the circus to come, and all net proceeds will directly benefit Mooseheart's mission of caring for its children and teens in need.

"We're really excited that families in the Fox Valley will be able to come and see some great entertainment for not a lot of cash outlay," Hart said. "You don't have to go very far. You don't have to go all the way into Chicago and you're going to get great value for your money right here at Mooseheart."

The circus continues a tradition of community involvement at Mooseheart. The campus already hosts a variety of public events from car shows to portions of the North Aurora Days celebrations to the annual Kane County Ag Days displays.

"Bar none, for three days, this will be the biggest event we've had at Mooseheart in quite some time," Hart said.

Mooseheart Child City & School is a 1,000-acre community and school for children and teens in need of a secure home, located just south of Batavia, IL, between Illinois Route 31 and Randall Road.

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.1 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,700 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.

Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, vocational training and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.

Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.

Mooseheart is currently home to roughly 230 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.

In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville, FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.