The Milwaukee Circus Parade Photo Gallery

The Milwaukee circus parade is a riot of color, music and activity. One of the largest (and in my opinion, the best) parades in the U.S., it has over 50 antique circus wagons, hundreds of circus performers, bands playing circus music, and circus animals, including elephants and white tigers.

Unfortunately, the parade has lost funding and was on hiatus for 6 years. The 2009 parade was the largest, but it may also be the last without further funding. It was a lovely, sunny day with a nice breeze off Lake Michigan, and we're all hoping the parade comes back in a couple of years!

Milwaukee Circus Parade 2009

The Milwaukee circus parade is a riot of color and music with huge band wagons drawn by teams of horses, and circus performers in colorful costumes.

The huge, gilt circus wagons are 90 - 120 years old and lovingly restored. Most of the wagons in the parade are on display at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI.

There are hundreds of clowns, stilt-walkers, and other circus performers in the parade. The Circus Parade is a tribute to circus history (parades led the circus into town, and this parade has nothing but antique wagons from Circus World Museum), the circus performers are also throw-backs to the past. These performers do tricks on antique bicycles.

Not all of the wagons, or the horses, are huge. This small, beautifully gilt wagon depicts Mother Goose and is in the Children's Section of the parade. It is pulled by Shetland ponies. There are even wagons pulled by teams of miniature horses, about the size of a labrador retreiver!

Not all of the wagons are gilt-covered, but most have somewhat ornate carvings. The circus animals are carried in caged wagons like this one, carrying white tigers.

What would a circus parade be without elephants? These circus animals usually bring up the rear, marching trunk-to-tail, from largest to smallest. The riders have colorful costumes, and the elephants are dressed, too!

There were several circus animal "babies" in the parade. There were foals marching alongside their mothers as they pulled wagons - it was like "take your child to work day" for the circus!

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