THE BALLOON MAN

The circus stomps its way into Salt Lake City
Published: Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010
By Lynn Arave, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — It was a three-ring circus in motion, but without a tent.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Parade and Elephant Walk traversed The Gateway area early Wednesday afternoon to herald their upcoming five days of Barnum's "FUNundrum!" circus, which runs through Sunday at the EnergySolutions Arena.
This "once-in-a-lifetime event" celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of the legendary P.T. Barnum, considered the "Greatest Showman on Earth."
Seven members of Salt Lake City's motorcycle police squad led the 10-minute circus parade through several blocks of The Gateway.
A float with the circus ringmaster and three girls followed and then various troupes of circus performers went by. There was a unicycle, some clowns, jugglers and several men on tall stilts.
Next, there was a horse, nine ponies, a Watusi cow, two llamas and finally what everyone wanted — six elephants, with three young women as riders.
"I liked the elephants the best," Jameela Coonce, of Salt Lake City, said.
Her daughter, Azlayah, 9, said she also liked the elephants, but "the stilts most of all."
"I thought it was the perfect parade length," Angelia Dulong, of Sandy said. With five young children in tow, the shorter the better, she said.
All of her children unanimously voiced that the elephants were their favorite part of the parade.
However, one man loudly proclaimed, "It definitely smelled like elephants," after the pachyderms passed by.
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