From Don Covington

116179_thumb, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Circus draws Good Morning America to Columbus By TERRI PEDERSON Staff Reporter Citizen Staff/Terri Pederson Carson and Barnes Circus employees work together Thursday to put up the big tent before the show in Columbus. The European style tent takes six hours to put up and four hours to take down. COLUMBUS (Wisconsin) — "Good Morning America" may have been interested in the small town aspect of the circus coming to town, but for the children who showed up at Fireman's Park, it was all about the fun. Elephants, horses, goats, camels and many more animals thrilled area children Thursday morning while the staff of the Carson & Barnes circus put up the big tent. Amanda Pippin, from Carson & Barnes, said the tent takes six hours to put up and four hours to take down. "The same 40 guys put it up and take it down," Pippin said. "They work during the show as well. The tent guys work between 18 and 20 hours a day." The "European style" tent seats 1,800 people. The circus came to Columbus from West Bend, with 45 trucks and a 150 people. "We're a circus city," Pippin said. "We take pride in being the traditional American circus. We do everything the old fashioned way. We still use an elephant to raise the tent." Good Morning America producer Jennifer Pirone said that piece of American history was just what her show was looking for. "We do a series of American snapshots," Pirone said. "The small slices of the America that has been in existence for a long time — like the circus." Pirone said they are not sure when the weekend segment will be on the show, but that it should run sometime during the next couple of weeks. For the children in attendance the excitement of seeing the elephants and the tent open up stole the show. Taylor Lang, 11, said, "Watching the elephant put the tent up," was her most awaited moment of the morning. The gigantic tent had its share of fans while workers tugged on ropes to raise it up and others tied the sides together. "I think it's really cool," Jake Holloway, 9, said. "I like inside the tent. It looks like it is in space." The inside of the canvas is blue with white stars. The circus benefits the Columbus Fire Department. The department gets a percentage of all advance ticket sales, but nothing from anything sold on the day of the event. The proceeds will go to advanced training or extra equipment. The last time the circus came to Columbus was in 2003. "It was a great show," Columbus Fire Department Lt. Jerrod Fox said. "We tried to get them last year but they were not in the area. This February we were able to schedule the show." One of the biggest successes of the day, Fox said, was the look on the children's faces. "Everywhere you walk there are kids smiling," Fox said. "You can see the excitement on their faces." Other department fundraisers include the pancake breakfast in October, a dance in June and raffle tickets each winter.