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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Circus chairman Joe Herbert likes aerialists, quick-change artists and animal acts, but admits he often doesn&#8217;t get to watch them perform because he&#8217;s usually behind the scenes, &#8220;making sure things go smoothly,&#8221; when the Irem Shrine Circus comes to town.</p><p>He&#8217;s OK with that, because the Irem Shriners&#8217; goal is to have as many <em>other</em> people as possible enjoy the 11 shows that are scheduled at the 109th Field Artillery Armory on Market Street.</p><p>&#8220;We try to keep it affordable for families. If you&#8217;re married and you have a few children, we don&#8217;t want you to have to go to the bank and borrow money to get to the circus,&#8221; Herbert said, adding ticket prices start at $8.</p><p>&#8220;We give away free tickets to Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and schools,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There are special shows on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (April 21) morning just for the schools, and there are &#8216;circus daddies&#8217; who are members of the Shrine who purchase tickets for day care centers and nursing homes.&#8221;</p><p>If you come to the 68th Irem Shrine Circus, which opens on Monday, you can see a family of unicyclists, a foot juggler and aerial contortionists. There will be a strongman, a trampoline act and mid-air motorcycle riders.</p><p>And, if you admire feats of derring-do, you can ask yourself who is braver &#8212; a person who climbs in and around the giant swinging pendulum called the Wheel of Destiny, or someone who gets into a cannon so he can shoot across the Armory as the &#8220;Flaming Arrow.&#8221;</p><p>As for animals, the circus acts include Bengal tigers, elephants, prancing ponies, dogs and camels.</p><p>Circus-goers will get a chance to ride elephants, camels and ponies before the circus starts, and at intermission, for $10 a ride.</p><p>If all this activity makes you hungry, the concession stands will offer popcorn, peanuts, cotton candy, hot dogs and soda for $2 an item. For added fun, the Shriners will chance off 25 bicycles, with winning numbers being drawn during each performance.</p><p>And, who knows? This time around Herbert, who has pitched in to help the Irem Shrine Circus for 52 of his 73 years, may catch a glimpse of a few acts in between his duties.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m still a kid at heart,&#8221; he said with a hearty chuckle.</p><p><ins>For other Life Section stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/features" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Grandma the Clown adds some musical notes to a previous Irem Shrine Circus. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_circus.clown_.jpg</photo0><caption0>Grandma the Clown adds some musical notes to a previous Irem Shrine Circus. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_circus.candyapples.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Irem Shriners Jamie Bonavina and Rich Spencer make candy apples during last year&#8217;s circus at the 109th Field Artillery Armory. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_circus.candyapples.jpg</photo1><caption1>Irem Shriners Jamie Bonavina and Rich Spencer make candy apples during last year&#8217;s circus at the 109th Field Artillery Armory. </caption1><photoCredit1>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_circus.chinese.acrobats.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">A troupe of Chinese acrobats will show off their talents when the Irem Shrine Circus opens in Wilkes-Barre on April 17. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_circus.chinese.acrobats.jpg</photo2><caption2>A troupe of Chinese acrobats will show off their talents when the Irem Shrine Circus opens in Wilkes-Barre on April 17. </caption2><photoCredit2>Submitted photo </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_circus.tigers.jpeg">
<div class="neCaption">A handler works with tigers during a previous Irem Shrine Circus at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_circus.tigers.jpeg</photo3><caption3>A handler works with tigers during a previous Irem Shrine Circus at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre. </caption3><photoCredit3>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Shriners wantto keep eventaffordable</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p><strong>By Mary Therese Biebel</strong></p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>IF YOU GO</strong></p><p><strong>What: </strong>68th Irem Shrine Circus</p><p><strong>Where:</strong> 109th Field Artillery Armory, 280 Market St., Wilkes-Barre</p><p><strong>When:</strong> 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 17; 6:30 p.m. April 18; 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. April 19; 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. April 20; 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. April 21; 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 22.</p><p><strong> Tickets:</strong> $8, $11, $15 and $20</p><p><strong>Info:</strong> 570-714-0783</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Irem Shrine Circus to visit Wilkes-Barre for 11 performances April 17-22