Bradenton area to be home of Ringling Bros. Circus Winter Quarters

Elephants on parade during Ringling Bros. media event Dec. 14, 2010, at Winter Quarters in Tampa.
Photo by Wade Tatangelo.

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A major boon appears on the horizon for the bustling Bradenton area.

One that could not only result in more high-paying jobs, but also some nice name recognition.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus became synonymous with Sarasota when its Winter Quarters were there from 1927 to 1959.

Now "The Greatest Show on Earth" might be just as closely associated with Manatee County.

Feld Entertainment, which acquired Ringling Bros. in 1967, plans to eventually move Winter Quarters to Ellenton from the Florida State Fairgrounds, where the circus is currently rehearsing its 143rd edition for a world premiere Jan. 2-6 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

The new Ellenton facility will house 100,000 square feet of office space and 450,000 square feet of manufacturing in two buildings along U.S. 301.

"We're not at a place yet where we can tell when we will have the capability to rehearse all the circuses at this facility," Feld spokesman Stephen Payne told the Bradenton Herald.

"But the long-term goal is to move Winter Quarters to Ellenton."

Read more.

Ringling Bros. ringmaster announced for 141st edition debuting in Tampa