SHOW’S OVER

Ringling Bros. is history after L.I. performance

THE “GREATEST Show on Earth” folded its tents Sunday and left town — forever.

Fans flocked to Long Island catch the final performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The show shut down after 146 years of performances.

“It’s good in a way for the animals, but in a way it stinks for the kids,” said Greg Zeppelin, 34, of Setauket, L.I., who brought his son Greg Jr.

The circus’ last show at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale was sold out.

“I love this circus,” said Kenny James, 50, of Amityville, L.I., who brought his three young kids.

Ringling’s parent company, Feld Entertainment, announced in January it would close the show, citing declining attendance and higher operating costs.

“We all have to embrace change,” he said. “But there is a love for the circus that will never die. Our family has given a halfcentury of life to something that would have ended 50 years ago.”

Animal rights activists have long targeted the circus, arguing the animals on display are abused by trainers and during long commutes from town to town.

The circus stopped using its famous elephants in May 2016.

But that wasn’t enough to bring back youngsters distracted by TV, video games and the internet.

On Sunday, about a dozen protesters stood on the side of the Hempstead Bethpage Turnpike urging ticket-holders to stay away.

No lion, it was the end of a 146-year run for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as the bell finally tolled for three-ring performers and critters Sunday at the Nassau Coliseum.