In Defense of the Great Circus Parade

Yesterday afternoon on Mark Belling's program, I caught some of the discussion about Mayor Tom Barrett's call to bring back the Great Circus Parade.

It wasn't much of a discussion. It was a bash fest.

I don't know if I heard the entire segment; but while I was listening, every caller echoed Belling's belief that the parade should not be revived. All agreed it should remain dead and buried.

Belling was brutal. He doesn't dislike the parade. He loathes the parade with every fiber of his being.

As usual, he complained about the inflated attendance numbers at past Circus parades. That's legitimate. It's wrong to use fabricated statistics as evidence in favor of bringing back the parade. I agree with him on that account.

But some of the points in Belling's anti-parade tirade are easily refuted.

Belling said that after you see the parade once or twice there's no point in seeing it again. It's the same old, same old.

By that standard, why see the 4th of July fireworks every year? Why see the Milwaukee Rep's annual production of A Christmas Carol more than once or twice? Why attend any event that's similar from year to year repeatedly?

I can understand Belling's boredom with the parade, but to use his personal lack of interest as an argument against it is so Belling-centric.

For example, I don't like to watch golf.

I attended the Greater Milwaukee Open on several occasions. I had the opportunity to attend without paying admission or parking fees. I received unlimited food and drinks at a corporate tent.

That was pleasant enough. Watching the golf, however, was torture for me. I wanted to scream every time the guy held up the "quiet please" sign. I couldn't stand it. It was so boring, plus it was hot and there were swarms of mosquitoes. I didn't like the golf, but I'm not on a crusade to end what's now called the U.S. Bank Championship.

So some people, like Belling, hate the Circus Parade. Fine. I don't get why they feel compelled to mercilessly bash it.

I don't think the Circus Parade should be staged as an annual event. It's too costly. Unlike other annual events, there's no admission fee for the parade. Every four or five years would be a much better way to go. That would likely increase attendance dramatically.

The fact that the Circus Parade is free makes it an especially nice community event. Everyone can go. No one is left out. Outlandish ticket prices don't prevent people from taking part.

Another really goofy thing that Belling said about the parade: "It seems dated."

Well, yeah.

It's American history. It's a slice from a bygone era.

The antique circus wagons are truly a treasure, a unique collection housed in Wisconsin. In addition to being displayed proudly at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, the wagons should be paraded.

Some people have problems with the animals used in circuses. By far, horses are the most prevalent animal found in the past parades. Lions, tigers, and other animals traditionally used in circuses could easily be eliminated from the parade without diminishing it. I don't see the cruelty to animals criticism as a valid argument against the parade's return.

I also caught a bit of Jeff Wagner's segment on the topic. I heard some talk that the parade is for kids. I disagree. The Great Circus Parade is for people of all ages.

Certainly, children experience it on their level, enjoying the clowns and the horses and the cotton candy and popcorn. Adults can appreciate it from their perspective, admiring the magnificence of the hand-carved wagons and the living history spectacle of the parade.

Like a century ago, the circus can still provide entertainment for the entire family. It's nice to go back to a more innocent era for a few hours on an afternoon on a summer day. It's good for Milwaukee.