Shrine Circus brings community together in Great Falls

GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The Shrine Circus is returning to Great Falls for its 73rd year from April 17 through April 19 at Montana Expo Park. This spring tradition is cherished by many families who come to enjoy the animals, acrobats and clowns. However, organizers emphasize that the heart of this event is about community.

Shrine Circus Chairman Bob Kampfer highlighted the importance of community involvement. "It's one of those things that happens at least as a community together. Otherwise, everybody be sitting at home doing God knows what, but not mingling together,” Kampfer said.

Each year, local businesses purchase tickets which are distributed free to every kindergarten through sixth-grade student in Great Falls. Shrine Circus Treasurer John Metcalf explained the goal. “The best thing is the school district allowing us to give tickets to every kid, you know, from kindergarten all the way through sixth grade for free. We hand them out about a week before the circus and so they don't lose them. And then, of course, if the kids buy a ticket, the parents have got to go, too,” Metcalf said.

Tickets are also provided to youth groups serving children with disabilities, allowing them to experience the circus together. Marketing Director Hope Good shared her thoughts on these moments. “There's groups that have people that might have challenges and they wouldn't normally be able to go to something like this. We make it possible for them to go and they'll come in a bus and there'll be a group of them that that's what touches me,” Good said.

Beyond entertainment, local Shriners support a travel fund that helps Montana families get to and from children’s hospitals. For many, the circus is more than just a show; it is a tradition passed down through generations.

Hope Good expressed her personal connection to the event. “I just absolutely love the circus and I'm a kid at heart. I've never grown up. My kids, of course, went to the circus with me, worked with me when they were little, selling circus programs. Now my grandkids go. Now my grandkids come to the circus every year. So it is a generational thing and I love it,” Good said.

Shriners are dedicated to keeping this community tradition alive for future generations, ensuring that it remains a staple in Great Falls.