Showfolks circus honors tradition with 50th show

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Inside Showfolks of Sarasota, Leigh Ketchum points out the who's who of circus performers.

"Karl Wallenda, of course, one of our founding members. Trudy Strong, who had this unbelievable dalmatian dog act," he said.

These are the innovators and performers who left a lasting impression on audiences around the world.

"Blinko, if you ever visited Circus Circus in Las Vegas," Ketchum said.

Showfolks is the club that continues honoring each and every performer.

"This is sort of sacred ground to all of us. It's an old building and it's difficult to preserve, but we are determined to keep it going," said Ketchum.

Each year they celebrate with a circus. They showcase many headlining acts in one show. This year is their 50th year together.

The profit is small, but it goes toward keeping Showfolks up and running.

"We are all kind of family here in the Sarasota market. We do this show for the community," said Larry Rich.

For ringmaster Larry Rich, it's a reunion.

"This is my 61st year in the business. I'm 71 years old. I started out 10 years old as a clown in the Mills Bros circus," he said.

Under one roof the audience will witness up to 9 generations of circus family members performing together. Bello Nock is one of those acts.

"You have some alumni, some acts that have never been seen before, some people debuting some new stuff," he said.

They hope to leave a lasting impression on everyone.

"The history that will walk through the front door and back door will be amazing. You will have circus icons. Some performing, some not," said Bello Nock.

For more information on the Showfolks circus visit: https://showfolks.com/