Great Circus Parade facts for kids
The Great Circus Parade is a super exciting event! It's a parade filled with marching bands, amazing circus wagons, funny clowns, talented performers, and even animals. It's like stepping back in time to see how circuses used to travel.
This special parade has happened many times. Most often, it takes place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It has also visited Chicago and Baraboo, Wisconsin. The parade helps raise money for the Circus World Museum. Hundreds of thousands of people usually come to watch it! The parade shows how people long ago would gather to see if a circus was worth visiting.
What You'll See at the Parade
The Great Circus Parade is famous for its unique exhibits. It features beautiful circus wagons and animals from the Circus World Museum. This museum is located in Baraboo, Wisconsin. You'll also see many lively marching bands from Wisconsin.
These animals and wagons don't just appear. They travel all the way from Baraboo to the parade city. They come on special circus trains! Did you know that Baraboo was the first home of the famous Ringling Brothers Circus back in 1884?
The parade in 2009 was huge! It showed off 50 different circus wagons. There were also between 250 and 400 horses. About 30 bands marched along the route. The whole parade lasted for two hours. Ernest Borgnine, who was the main parade clown, said he saw "nothing but miles and miles of smiles."
A Look at the Parade's History
The Great Circus Parade was started by two people, Chappie Fox and Ben Barkin. The very first parade was held in Milwaukee in 1963. It happened every year in Milwaukee until 1973.
After that, the parade moved around. Between 1980 and 2005, it was held in Milwaukee, Chicago, or Baraboo, Wisconsin. There was a short break, and no parade happened from 2006 to 2008.
The parade made a big comeback in 2009. It returned to Milwaukee on July 12. This was after a six-year break! Organizers worked hard to raise $1.5 million to make it happen. The 2009 parade also celebrated a special event. It was the 50th anniversary of the Circus World Museum.
Before the parade, the animals and wagons were on display. You could see them at Veteran’s Park in Milwaukee for several days. The parade route itself was about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) long. It started near Milwaukee’s lakefront on Lake Michigan. Then it went right through downtown Milwaukee.
Bill Fox, who is the nephew of the parade's founder, helped raise money for the 2009 event. He hopes the parade will happen every two to three years. This gives enough time to raise the funds needed for such a big show!
