The Circus Parade Returns!

Last week in the news I read that Milwaukee is planning to revive a long lost tradition: The Great Circus Parade!

Watching the Circus Parade was a tradition for my family that spanned many years. Sadly, our custom fizzled out once my brother, sister and I grew up, and then after nearly two decades the parade was eventually canceled for everyone.

After a six-year hiatus, the Great Circus Parade will be back in 2009 in celebration of the Circus World Museum’s 50th Anniversary. This news elicited nostalgia for me and many Milwaukeeans.

Do you have any memories of the Great Circus Parade?

It’s funny because just a few days before the news broke I asked my dad, “Hey dad, whatever happened to the Circus Parade?” Over lunch he explained the lack of funds and its cancellation. Then, we reminisced about how people would camp out downtown just to wait for the parade and how the entire week was deemed "Circus Week" as it was filled with special activities to attract families from all over the country, even the world.

This annual festival culminated in the Great Circus Parade and as a kid we’d pack a cooler and head from Brookfield to downtown early in the morning to find a spot along Wisconsin Avenue. There we'd wait curbside on lawn chairs and on blankets for hours and hours along with hundreds of thousands of wide-eyed locals all anticipating the Circus Parade's arrival.

Then, the blast of a train horn commenced the magnificent spectacle and the whimsical antique wagons, peppy marching bands, goofy clowns, exotic animals, and the stream of other fantastic circus performers flooded the streets of Milwaukee.

Back then it was the world's only annual circus parade and it was a Milwaukee treasure. I’m thrilled that the Great Circus Parade is coming back to our city and I'm delighted to relive this Milwaukee tradition!

Comments

[wfbdoglover]

My parents rode on the 1st Circus Parade train ride back to Milwaukee from Baraboo. It was pretty exciting! We were there when the train arrived and then had a private party on the Summerfest grounds. I remember working with a friend in a balloon booth, blowing up ballons for little kids.

The actual parade was spent in "private seats" with a client and their children, I think in front of the Pfister Hotel.

THEN, Ben Barkin got all the glory and fame for bringing the Circus Parade back to Milwaukee and that ended my dad's employer's involvement with the Circus Parade.

Not knowing it would be the very last parade here in Milwaukee, I took my son down by bus and we sat on the curb by the War Memorial. We had a great time, as it was our first parade. Traditionally, we went to the Festival Grounds at Vetrans Park.

I am still scratching my head trying to figure out how it costs another $1,000,000 for the train ride there and back from Baraboo.

Either way, we will make sure to have this on our list of things to do this summer. I never made it to a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York - I don't want to die saying... we should have made it to the Circus Parade.

Hopefully, this parade will continue for years to come.

[Karen]

That's one heck of a story, lady! Thanks for sharing it. :)

I also don't understand why it allegedly takes 1 million dollars to get the train into town...Oh well.

Despite not seeing the train, I'm thrilled to watch the parade again. I also hope it becomes an annual event. Just think what that will do for Milwaukee's economy. It definitely won't hurt it.

[mjonthemove]

I love, love, love the Circus Parade. In my mind's eye, it was the epitomy of a parade. You had all of the usual parts of a parade (clowns, floats, marching bands, etc.), but then you had elephants, and all sorts of animals. It was always amazing to see it coming down Wisconsin Ave.

My family would also camp out for hours to see this spectacle. It'll be great. It's hard to know about things like this so early. Now, I'll have the thought or promise of the Great Circus Parade in my head until '09.

Wow, this is amazing news. I love the Circus Parade. I was completely disheartened when they cancelled it, and this is amazing news.

[Tory MacDonald]

I was lucky enough to take part in history when I was invited out from Connecticut, to the parade back in 1999 to help the Sparrow Family with the 40 horse hitch. I told my husband that this was a "once in a lifetime event for me" and I just HAD to go!...well once in a lifetime ended up being 3 times in a lifetime for me and when I heard that they were no longer going to be having the parade I was really sad.
I remember the year that the Sparrows celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary there and Chappie Fox was there as well.
And who can forget the sat night "scoop shovel races" if you were lucky enough to be on the grounds.
Ahhhhh ..the memories are fresh and I am glad to hear that they are bringing the parade back!