The Kosair Shrine Circus is an annual Shrine circus held in Louisville, Kentucky, done for the Kosair Charities of the Oasis of Louisville Kosair Shrine, a group of Freemasonry that stress fun and fellowship. The first circus was held in 1925.
On February 7, 2006, the Humane Society of the United States issued a press statement calling for a boycott of the circus as it came to Louisville, due to the Kosair Shrine Circus offering elephant rides to visiting patrons. A countywide animal riding ban was instated in 1990 for all performing animal acts as a result of a man being injured while wrestling a bear. Circus members asked for elephant rides to be reinstated, citing opportunities to increase annual revenue.[1] In December 2005 the Louisville Metro Council voted to allow the elephant rides to take place.[2]