This photograph was taken on the Milwaukee lakefront July 12, 1986.
Greg Parkinson, seen here talking to Lou Jacobs, was executive director of the Circus World Museum at the time, and had just brought 75 circus wagons on a train pulled by a steam engine to Milwaukee from Baraboo! That is Ringling bandmaster Merle Evans on the left and on the right is circus historian Jack Lentz and Chappie Fox’ wife Sophie.
As it was in all years when Milwaukee (and Chicago) hosted the Great Circus Parade, it was a huge undertaking. In 1986 the parade featured 700 horses! 500 of them were used to pull the circus wagons through the streets of Milwaukee and another 200 were used in other parade displays.
Despite rain that day a huge crowd turned out for the parade which also featured actor Ernest Borgnine dressed as a clown and former Ringling ringmaster Harold Ronk.
The 1986 Great Circus Parade was broadcast on 120 PBS television stations. What a day!
-Chris Berry