Flying high at the fair

SANDUSKY — The circus is visiting Sandusky for the week at the Erie County Fair. The free-to-watch Cincinnati Circus has been performing at the Erie County Fair three times a day. Shows started on Monday and continue through Saturday. The show includes aerial acrobatics, interactive activities for kids and more. It includes different events depending on the time of day and hosts its shows at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. "It's cool to get to see talented people do things an ordinary person can't do," said first-time circus goer Karen Russell, who came with her family on Thursday. "We were down here for fair judging and I knew the kids would probably enjoy it. It's fun watching them laugh and have a good time — the smiles on their faces." Chris Baker, a.k.a. "Sir Chris With the Circus," helps lead the performance and has been part of the Cincinnati Circus, based out of the city of the same name, for seven years. He performs alongside "Miss" Lauren Ashley, Gina "the Genius" Mauro and Melissa "Mo" Clark. "It's nice to keep the circus alive and see kids having a good time," Baker said. Added Mauro: "Circus is dying, unfortunately. We're trying to keep it alive." Baker described what it was about the circus that drew him to be a part of it. "It's nice to bring a little circus magic to people," he said. "What's fun about the circus is that you get to be yourself but you also get to break all the social rules. "You can juggle bowling pins over an audience member's head and no one thinks it's weird — it's the circus," he continued. "No one expects you to be normal when you're part of the circus." The Erie County Fair, happening at the Erie County Fairgrounds on Columbus Avenue, began on Monday and continues through this Sunday. The Cincinnati Circus performs throughout the tri-state area and beyond. For more information, go to cincinnaticircus.com or visit their social media.