From coast to coast, Gilligan is making his way across America.

The 8-year-old Capuchin monkey was on Massachusetts Street Thursday morning to promote the Bailey Bros. Circus, which is in town for shows this weekend. Gilligan gives high fives and shakes the hands of those he meets.

“People don’t get to see a monkey up close and personal like this,” said Philip Dolci, a circus business manager. “Someday they can take their kid to a circus and tell them they shook hands with a monkey.”

Also accompanying Gilligan were Aneliya Angelova from Bulgaria and Iryna Yemengulova from Russia, both showgirls in the circus.

Angelova and Yemengulova said that traveling with the circus was always fun and exciting, but they didn’t always know where they were or where they were heading. Occasionally it can be boring, but going coast to coast isn’t so bad when you’ve got a “perfect” trailer, according to Angelova.

The act will include two elephants, a crocodile, a snake and acrobats under the big top at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds.

“We have pretty girls, funny clowns and animals galore,” Dolci said.

Luke Edwards,3, shakes hands with Gilligan, a Capuchin monkey who is in town with the Bailey Bros. Circus. Luke and his mother, Megan Edwards, met Gilligan while walking downtown Thursday. The circus will perform this weekend at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds.

The circus will have shows at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. today and 2 p.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.

Dolci said the circus would be a family-oriented event.

“I’ve loved the circus since I was a child,” he said.

Kelsey Richardson and Lydia Caron are ninth-graders at Central Junior High. Edited by Kevin Workman, a ninth-grader at South Junior High. They participated in a career day Thursday at the Journal-World.

6News video: The circus is coming