Juventino Tepox, left, and Francisco Cramonra work on putting up the big top prior to the opening of the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus on Sunday in De Soto. Leo Acton, the tour guide and circus clown, said there are people from all over the world in the circus industry so someone who works with the circus picks up on a lot of culture. “It’s just amazing to really see the world in multiple ways,” Acton said. “Not only the worlds people bring to our show and they’re a part of our show, and the worlds we get to go see as well as our show.” He said Culpepper & Merriweather goes to smaller communities that are overlooked by larger companies. “We know that there’s great people out there that want to come see an amazing show and deserve some entertainment brought to them,” Acton said. — April 10, 2016, De Soto, Ill. (Jacob Wiegand | @jawiegandphoto)