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By: Joshua Sharpe 

Published: February 7, 2015

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BUFORD — Belk was a circus Saturday. Literally.

Performers from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey stopped by the Mall of Georgia store to promote — and give away tickets to — the Legends show coming to the Arena at Gwinnett Center and Philips Arena this month.

Rob Lok, a clown who goes by the Ambassador of Laughter, a dancer known simply as “Jane” and others treated shoppers young and old to plate-spinning, face-painting and a variety of gags and routines. Jumpy circus music and oldies piped into the store through a small sound system.

At one point, Jane tossed the clown’s hat from the top of an escalator, trying to land it on his head. He caught it with his hands, put it on quickly and walked off, as laughs rose from the small crowd.

The Ambassador and Jane brought up several kids from the audience to teach them to spin plates on sticks. The kids’ reactions ranged from terrified at the surely-to-fall-and-bust plates to glee.

Then there were those like Nnamdi Anaba, a 12-year-old Gwinnett resident. The Nigeria native looked bored as the smiling, painted clown called him up to pass a spinning plate to his sister Kelechi, 9, who would then pass it sister Osi, 6.

The girls seemed much more interested than Nnamdi. They smiled with freshly painted faces as the spinning disk came their way. Kelechi took a moment to pose for a goofy picture with the clown.

Gabriella Girondo, 9, of Lawrenceville had a good time, too, in spite of one of her fears that threatened to ruin everything for a girl hanging around Belk on Saturday.

“I don’t like scary clowns,” Gabriella said.

Luckily for the Ambassador, though, he made the grade.

“I like this one,” Gabriella said. “He has less makeup on.”

The Legends show comes to Philips from Feb. 11 to 16 and the Gwinnett Center from Feb. 19 to March 1.

For more information, visit www.ringling.com.