The Greatest Show on Earth is approaching its last stand after 146 years of entertainment.

When star singer Buddy Holly tragically died in a plane crash a newspaper’s headline was “The Day The Music Died”, with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus set to perform one last time on May 21st, 2017 might be known as “The Day The Circus Died”. There are still circuses out there, but none of them will ever reach the level that “The Greatest Show on Earth” has reached.

If you haven’t been to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in your life, you’ve missed out on one of the last timeless forms of entertainment left. Your Grandfather could’ve seen the show, maybe even your Great-Grandfather. That’s the point of the circus: entertainment for all ages.

The circus travels in two separate groups, the last “Circus Xtreme” performance was yesterday at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The other group “Out of This World” will perform their last performance on the 21st in Uniondale, New York.

I went this past Thursday to see “The Greatest Show on Earth”, I hadn’t been to a circus till then but I’m glad I went. When I was first asked to go I didn’t know how much I would enjoy it. Now it makes me feel sad that my first circus was also probably my last. With circuses not getting the crowds that they used to get, there might not be circuses around for much longer.

Attendance shot down when the Ringling Bros. retired all of their elephants due to animal rights activists protests of animals performing tricks in circuses. Who argue that it is not a good environment for the animals to be in, and that they are mishandled. Animals that currently are still performing consist of dogs, tigers, lions and other marvelous creatures.

Basically the whole city would shut down when the circus came to town, even schools! Large crowds would gather to watch the animals and people from the circus exit from the train. One time when the train was unloading, the beloved elephant Jumbo was disembarking when another train was coming and sadly hit and killed Jumbo. Though Jumbo’s trunk was still there, so they put it in the Barnum Hall at Tufts University. It stayed there until the Barnum Hall burned down and it was destroyed, poor Jumbo.

All of the clowns and people who are part of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus will become jobless when the final bows are taken. Lots of them live in RVs so they can travel with the circus. Some have also said that they want to stick with the circus. There are mixed emotions about the closing of the circus. Some feel disappointed while also happy that they are part of the last performance. Many are ready to see where the wind takes them.

If you blink you might miss something, a sword swallow, fire breathing, you never know. The circus has been around for hundreds of years, and the “Greatest Show on Earth” has been around for 146 years. Though the circus might not be around for many more years. So if you plan to “run away and join the circus” you have to do it sooner rather than later.

It has saddened many hearing that the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will close for good on May 21st, but they will be broadcasting their final show on Facebook Live, one of the apps that made kids less interested in the circus. It’s amazing how things happen like that. Something we can all agree on, this attraction will be deeply missed.