Staff Writer

Children of all ages didn’t have to go far to see what would happen if they ran away to join the circus.

Circus Smirkus, the all-youth traveling circus, made a stop in Kennebunkport to entertain local children for two shows earlier this week.

“I’m looking forward to the clowns,” said Haley Ham, 9, who had seen the circus last year.

Many returning circus-goers were excited for the clowns, this year dressed up as Boy Scouts to promote the theme “Wildreness Wonders.”

“I remember the tent being bigger and a 20-foot-high, no, a 50-foot-high human pyramid,” said Kirby Losee, 9, of his third consecutive year seeing the circus.

Joining the Boy Scout clowns was Bigfoot who helped entertain the crowd between sets, a camp councilor who directed the audience through an imaginary hike around the circus tent and some flannel-wearing, ax-toting lumberjacks, who were remarkably good at juggling and balance.

One not-so-tall tale coming from center ring was from 15-year-old Tobias Francis, who works with the parks service in Acadia National Park.

As part of the theme, Francis spoke to the children about ways to protect the natural habitat of woodland creatures in their home state.

“I’m excited, but a little bit nervous,” Francis said as he played with his official Park Ranger hat.

This is Francis’ first summer working for the park. He got the job as part of a grant to bring youth service back into Acadia.

Circus Smirkus began touring throughout New England in 1989. It was founded two years earlier as a way for children to run away to the circus with little risk because they’re supervised by older performers and adults on staff.

Children can try out beginning in November when auditions are held in Vermont, the official home of Circus Smirkus. For those not sure if they’re ready to join, the circus also provides one- and two-week summer camps across New England.

From July to mid-August, children between the ages of 10 and 18 have the chance to be a part of the only all-youth traveling circus in the country. Owen Winship, from Idaho, and Jared Mongeau, of Cumberland, are just two of the 31  performers and 40 crew members to tour with the circus. The entourage is a caravan of 23 support vehicles, including a “pie car” where meals are prepared, 250 costumes, 200 props, 70 spotlights and more than a mile of electrical cable.

Both Winship, 17, a unicyclist and balancer and Mongeau, 18, a clown, started out wanting to see clowns and other performances at the local circus.

“When I was younger I was one of the kids who liked the spotlight. I went to Circus Smirkus when I was 7 and I loved it,” Mongeau said.

Winship said while on tour all the performers stay with host families near the performance site. Some participants consider their stays as much of a benefit as getting a summer off from parents to unicycle under a big top or make countless children laugh while dressed up as a Boy Scout clown.

“It’s not just the circus skills you pick up. You also get to meet new people and you get a lot of real life experience,” said Mongeau, who may join Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus after more training on proper ways to clown around.

If Mongeau does make it into the big league, he will join the more than 20 other circus performers who got their start with Circus Smirkus.

Circus Smirkus first came to Kennebunkport five years ago after Amy Johnson and Jeni Kingston, both members of the Consolidated School’s PTA, took their families to see the circus and loved the experience.

“It seemed like such a great organization and we thought it would be a great fundraiser for our school,” Johnson said.

During the past four years the circus has raised more than $75,000 for the school to pay for field trips, supplies and other expenses.

“This way we don’t have to fundraise during the school year,” Kingston said.

But will the circus be back next year?

“Of course! It’s now not just a school tradition, it’s a summer tradition,” Kingston said.

Staff Writer Suzanne Hodgson can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 233.