The Great Circus Parade Festival and Events

The Great Circus Parade ®and Festival celebrates the splendor and pageantry of the old-time circus parades of more than a century ago.

The Great Circus Parade Festival starts with Wagon Roll-Out Days in Baraboo, on the grounds of Circus World. Authentic, intricately carved circus wagons will be displayed in all their glory as they are readied for the journey to Milwaukee.

Next is the Festival on Milwaukee's lakefront featuring performances of the Kelly Miller Circus, a petting zoo, food and beverages, souvenirs, animal rides and lots of family fun.

The grand finale will be The Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee, beginning at 1:30 pm on Sunday, July 12. See 50 authentic circus wagons, 350 exquisite horses, 30 musical bands and novelties, exotic animals, 150 clowns and over 450 riding and walking performers dressed in lavish circus wardrobe. It's a superlative salute to the magnificent street pageants produced by American circuses over one-hundred years ago.

This spectacular two-hour parade will be one of the most stupendous, most sensational, most dazzling spectacles in America!

Wagon Roll-Out Days, Jun 28-Jul 5, Baraboo
See the glorious color and intricate woodcarving of authentic circus wagons displayed throughout grounds of Circus World before their trip to The Great Circus Parade in Milwaukee. View more details about Wagon Roll-Out Days event.

The Great Circus Parade Festival, Jul 8-11, 2009, Milwaukee
Make plans to attend The Great Circus Parade Festival on Milwaukee's lakefront. See live, tented circus performances of the Kelly Miller Circus, food, beverage and souvenir vendors, animal rides, authentic circus wagon displays and horses preparing for the Great Circus Parade. On Saturday, July 11, there will be practice runs with the teams of horses hitched to the actual wagons they will pull in The Great Circus Parade. View more details about The Great Circus Parade Festival event.


The Great Circus Parade, Jul 12, 2009, Milwaukee

Don't miss this spectacular two-hour tribute to those lavish street pageants produced by showmen of the golden era of the American circus.

The parade steps out at 1:30 pm beginning with a prelude fan-fare of high wheel bikes, the Milwaukee Police Band, antique fire-fighting equipment, mounted police and sheriff posses, antique automobiles with political dignitaries, and the mayor of Milwaukee.

After that, the parade becomes entirely horse-drawn with 50 authentic circus wagons, 350 exquisite horses, 30 musical bands and novelties, exotic animals, 150 clowns and over 450 riding and walking performers dressed in lavish circus wardrobe. Feel the special excitement and joy of the circus parade as it trumpets throughout the city's major downtown thoroughfares before ending on Michigan Street. This event is one of the Nation's largest parades, and expected to be viewed by close to one million spectators. View more details about this stupendous, splendiferous cavalcade at The Great Circus Parade Event.