The Carson & Barnes 3-ring circus will be in Bismarck Monday at the Bismarck Civic Center parking lot C with shows at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m.

In the tent the size of a football field there will be enough seating to accommodate 2,200 people, where they will see a two-hour performance in three circus rings

This year, the circus features the acrobatic Uzbek Trio from Uzbekistan, a central Asian country north of Afghanistan.

No circus has ever featured such an exotic performance from Uzbekistan, according to Doug "Poppa the Clown" Munsell of the circus.

Another act features more than 14 people in the air at the same time in the Ariel Ballet.

Other acts include younger circus stars the Hula Hoop champions, a contortionist who puts himself in a Plexiglas container no bigger than a suitcase, circus clowns, elephants and a young woman performing hand balancing.

A petting zoo features a zebu, zebra, pygmy hippo, pygmy goats, llamas, alpaca and burro. Those who come 30 minutes before each show will be able to ride the ponies, elephants and camels.

To see the elephants help erect the tents, visitors are welcome to come early at 10 a.m. and will able to go inside the big top to watch it go up.

"This is a history lesson, as it is the way the big top was put up years ago," Munsell said in a press release.

Tickets are available along with coupons at www.CarsonBarnesCircus.com or the ticket office at the circus.