Pony Rides Return to El Zagal Shrine Circus at Jamestown Civic Center

Pony rides filled a familiar corner of the Jamestown Civic Center on Tuesday, April 7, when the annual Jamestown–Valley City El Zagal Shrine Circus returned for its latest edition, drawing children and families from across Stutsman County for one of the region's most enduring springtime traditions.

The rides are not a novelty addition but a consistent fixture. The same attraction drew crowds at the Civic Center on April 15, 2025, and the pattern holds year after year: kids lining up, ponies circling, parents watching from the edge of the ring. Staff photographer John M. Steiner of The Jamestown Sun documented this year's rides as they unfolded.

Pony rides shared the floor with a full circus program that has long defined the event's appeal. Animal acts featuring camels, llamas, and ponies have headlined recent editions, while the broader show rotates in trapeze artists, motorcycle jumpers, dancers, and juggling acts. The Jamestown Clowns, one of three independent Shriner units that organize the circus, work the crowd directly, spending much of the show interacting with children in the seats. The other two units, the Mystics and EZ Wheels, round out the organizing backbone of the El Zagal Shrine operation.

The scale of community interest in the circus is not abstract. When the 71st Annual Jamestown–Valley City El Zagal Shrine Circus came to the Civic Center on a Tuesday in April 2024, the building sold out. Camels, llamas, and ponies were part of that show's animal acts. Past editions have gone further: elephant rides were part of the circus program as recently as 2022, alongside camel rides and face painting.

For families hoping to find pony rides beyond the circus calendar, the Stutsman County Fair runs June 25–28 at the Stutsman County Fairgrounds, where pony rides appear alongside 4-H exhibits, a carnival, and an exotic petting zoo. Frontier Village in Jamestown offers seasonal stagecoach and pony rides rooted in the county's pioneer history stretching back to the 1800s.

The Circus Classic is also set to bring a separate show to the Stutsman County Fairgrounds from August 14–17, featuring clowns, aerialists, acrobats, and animals under a big top tent, extending the county's circus season well into summer.