Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars

The circus is coming to town. Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars will be setting up its Big Top at Oceanside’s Firemen’s Memorial Field, Monday through Wednesday, Aug. 2-4 at 5 and 8 p.m. Animals, thrill acts and clowns are the focus of the Cole Bros.

2010 edition.

The troupe, which bills itself as “the oldest American circus performing under the big top,” is bringing back its tiger act after a six year hiatus.

The big cats, an audience favorite, are one of many crowd-pleasing animal acts. This year’s show features Asian elephants, Royal Bengal tigers, camels, zebras, llamas, ponies, and perky pooches.

Daredevil performers include Guatemala’s Angels of the Air, fearless flying trapeze artists who vault high overhead to astonish audiences with their spine-tingling routines. Also, marvel at Lana, from Kazakhstan, who achieves a seemingly impossible one-finger stand that literally balances strength and grace.

The comic antics of the Bermudez Troupe keep everyone laughing, with clown escapades on a revolving ladder and in a taxi. And to top it all off, the show concludes with the exhilarating action of intrepid motorcycle riders who brave the splitting Globe of Death and The Human Cannonball who flies across the Big Top at 65 mph.

Tickets are $17, $12 for ages 2-12; available at (888) 332-5200 or www.tickets.com. Tickets can also be purchased at Oceanside Fire Headquarters, 65 Foxhurst Rd., or at the Ticket Wagon at the Sands Shopping Center (July 24-25, July 31-Aug. 1). Free tickets for kids are available at www.freekidstickets.com.