The circus is coming to town, as the Rastelli Circus makes a return trip to Port Townsend, for afternoon and evening shows on the weekend of July 12-13.

Circus spokesperson Denisse Santos spoke with The Leader about how the Rastelli Circus first performed in Port Townsend on July 28-29 of last year.

“It was unexpectedly amazing,” Santos said. “We had never been to this area before. On our research for venues, we found the Jefferson County Fairgrounds. We were told that not many circuses come to this area, so we had our doubts, but we took the risk and gave it a shot.”

In Santos’ estimation, the “risk” was well worth it, as the circus was well-received.

“The audience loved the show,” Santos said. “Our performers felt the love. It was such a great time overall, and we are so happy to be back this year.”

Santos noted that the Rastelli Circus is an all-human circus, meaning there are no animal acts.

“Approximately 95% of circuses still have animals,” Santos said. “It was a big decision to create a show with no animals, because when people hear the word ‘circus,’ many of them think about elephants and exotic animals, but we wanted to create something new and different.”

According to Santos, the human acts that have proven the most popular for the Rastelli Circus include the flying trapeze.

“We are one of the very few circuses left that present flying trapeze,” Santos said. “Another popular act is our foot-juggling. We brought the famous ‘Cedeño Brothers,’ originally from Ecuador. They’ve performed all over the world, including at famous international circus festivals, and their acrobatics are one-of-a-kind.”

Santos acknowledged that modern audiences have higher standards, and a wider variety of options, for entertainment, which she conceded can impact attendance, but she expressed faith that a well-executed traditional circus show has an enduring appeal.

“We just want to get the word out about our circus,” Santos said. “Once you see it, we think you’ll agree that it’s an experience that you wouldn’t want to miss, especially if this is your first opportunity to take in a circus.”

Santos extended thanks, on behalf of the Rastelli Circus, to the Jefferson County Fairgrounds “for giving us the opportunity to come back this year, and for making us feel at home. We hope we can keep coming back every year, with whole new shows.”

The Rastelli Circus is set to perform at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13, at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit rastellicircus.com/tour-dates.