I recieved the Wisconson Histoical Society's newsletter today. Here is an excerpt from the newsletter.

The Great Circus Parade Returns to Milwaukee On July 12, 2009, an estimated one million people will fill the streets of downtown Milwaukee for the revival of The Great Circus Parade. Produced by Circus World, with support from the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Parks Dept., the massive event recaptures the splendor of circus parades from the early 1900s. Established in 1963, this will be the parade's first Milwaukee appearance since 2003, the 30th circus parade staged in that city, the 40th circus parade staged by Circus World, and will be the crowning glory of Circus World's 50th anniversary celebration!

The work necessary to bring The Great Circus Parade to life began last summer. Harold Burdick, Circus World's Facilities and Wagons Superintendent, and his crew dug into a mountain of wagon restoration work. Getting the wagons parade worthy requires a more complete level of restoration than if they are to just sit on display. More than 180 circus wheels were taken to Iowa, where they were rebuilt and repaired by an Amish craftsman. The wheels were then repainted in bright circus style. Specific wagons required major restorations, including The All American Circus Cage, The Ringling Giraffe Wagon, The Pawnee Bill Bandwagon, the Cole Bros. Air Calliope, and The Ken Maynard Air Calliope. Master carver Homer Daehn is repairing the figural carvings on The Al G. Barnes Elephant Tableau.

Magician, Tristan Christ, and singing ringmaster, Dave SaLoutos, have been coordinating the vast number of details crucial for a successful parade. They've organized the parade wardrobe, contacted horse teams, coordinated the clown recruitment process with The Clown Hall of Fame, secured marching bands, and contracted with 150 horseback riders.

Parade festivities will begin at Circus World with Wagon Roll-Out Days from Sunday, June 28, 2009, through Sunday, July 5. Museum visitors will have the chance to gaze upon the majestic beauty of the wagons on display throughout the grounds. The wagons then will travel by truck convoy to Milwaukee, carried by Deppe transport. Wilbur Deppe and his son Dave began moving wagons for Circus World in 1960, and today it is Dave and his son Tim that continue the tradition.

The Great Circus Parade showgrounds, located at Veterans Park on Milwaukee's lakefront, open at noon on Wednesday, July 8, and will operate from 9 am until 10 pm Thursday through Saturday. The showgrounds will feature daily circus performances, wagon displays, a petting zoo with exotic animals, a Ferris wheel, a carousel, and rides on elephants, camels, a pony wheel and a Percheron draft horse wheel. Antique fairground organs will provide the stirring sounds of a bygone era. The parade is one of the nation's largest, topped only by the Pasadena Rose Parade in attendance. We hope you can experience the thrill of the circus in Baraboo this summer and also in Milwaukee for The Great Circus Parade on July 12th at 1:30 pm.