El Zagel Shrine Circus Returns to Detroit Lakes

DETROIT LAKES (KDLM) – The El Zagel Shrine Circus returns to Detroit Lakes, Thursday.

The event, which has been cancelled the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic will once again be held at the Kent Freeman Sports Arena. The daytime shows bring in preschoolers and local elementary school students, while the evening show at 6:30 p.m. sees families from across the Lakes Area. Each show is about 90 minutes, with an intermission.

Tickets are $7 at the door.

Circuses have been making stops in Detroit Lakes for over 100 years, however one of the most memorable circus moments in Detroit Lakes occurred in the 1940s when the circus train broke down near where the Country Inn & Suites is now located. Circus animals, including elephants had to be unloaded and marched through town until the train could be repaired.

photo of elephant being marched through Detroit Lakes after a circus train broke down in the 1940s