Paces slow down, heads turn and curious shoppers peer through storefront windows to marvel at – not one elephant in the room – but rather 2,772 assorted elephant trinkets, and counting. Sixty-year-old Andy Swan, clown and CEO of the Swan Brothers Circus from North Highlands, has been collecting all things elephant-related for 40 years. He is currently attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the largest elephant collection as a tribute to his late brother, who passed away last December. Swan created a store-sized display case at the Westfield Downtown Plaza Mall for his growing elephant collection. Stuffed animals, statues, models, clothing, pictures, books, greeting cards, post

Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson urged a rowdy crowd both young and old to step right up on Thursday night for the first of three performances of Barnum’s FUNundrum! at Arco Arena. The audience sat mesmerized and wide-eyed by the sensory overload displayed from the arena floor to its ceiling. Eyes moved high and low and left to right to capture and process the fast-moving march of hard-bodied acrobats, choreographed dance routines, colors, lights and animals. To start off the night, clowns rallied the 10,000 or more spectators with a street-style drum corps that incorporated the crowd’s claps with a syncopated sequence of beats on trash cans and lids. Their rhythm, and the crowd’s, moved

Audiences will be puzzled and amazed by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s presentation of “Barnum’s FUNundrum!” coming to Arco Arena Sept. 9-12. The event celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of legendary showman P.T. Barnum. The 130 performers hail from 15 different countries. Acts include body benders, a two-level trapeze arrangement, stilt walkers, high-wire motorcycle balancing, trampoline acrobats and, of course, plenty of clowns. A menagerie of exotic animals, including 100,000 pounds’ worth of elephants, will be incorporated into the various acts performed throughout the show. Ticket holders are allowed access to to an “Animal Open House” 90 minutes before show time,