CLEVELAND – Dave Schramm and his wife Theresa were anxious for the big arrival.
The Parma couple stood on East 9th Street for two hours Tuesday morning, staring north, patiently waiting to see the animal superstars of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
“My wife’s been wanting to come for years and she finally got off, and we saw it on the computer yesterday,” Dave said. “It’s our 41st anniversary, so we’re down here to see the elephants.”
The Schramm’s were among a crowd of hundreds waiting for a group of horses and Asian elephants to strut their stuff downtown.
“It was very up close and personal. Even at the zoo, you don’t get that close,” said Natasha Williams of Cleveland.
Williams brought her nephew and daughter, Mikayla, to see the animals – something they’ve never done before.
“I saw elephants and horses and cars,” said Mikayla. “It was really cool.”
“It was more than I expected,” her mother added. “I didn’t know that I would be that close to us, so it was kind of awesome. I think I got a little more excited than the kids did.”
The elephant entourage stomped all the way to the Quicken Loans Arena, where they’ll be entertaining Clevelanders of all ages until Monday, Oct. 22.
Tickets range from $15 to $85 each.
For more information about the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, go to www.ringling.com.