Cow Parades... and Beyond!

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Moo if you love funky public art!

First there was a parade of Cows...then more cows.  Then horses, pigs and even big hearts.

Welcome to the fundraiser benefit phenomenon known as the Cow Parade.  A shape, most often a cow, is painted or otherwise decorated by local artisans, at the sponsorship of local businesses and persons.  The art is put on display and then auctioned to benefit the chosen cause.  Cow Parades have been staged all over the globe.

Shown here, Bovina, the showgirl cow from the Las Vegas cow parade.

Bring Some Cows Home 

expand your cow collection

Westland Cow Parade 11565 Citizen Kow

Amazon Price: $23.99 (as of 07/13/2009) Buy Now

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Cow'rrabba's Figurine

Amazon Price: $21.95 (as of 07/13/2009) Buy Now

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Westland Cow Parade 7732 Rodo Logo Existo

Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 07/13/2009) Buy Now

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Vincent Van Gogh

Amazon Price: $11.99 (as of 07/13/2009) Buy Now

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Cali-Cow

Amazon Price: $15.99 (as of 07/13/2009) Buy Now

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My First Animal Parade 

Pigs in the Pacific Northwest

The first benefit animal art parade I ever saw and photographed was Seattle's Pigs On Parade, benefitting the Pike Place Market Foundation.

Their mascot is a big piggybank named Rachel. I visited my parents while the show was running and my dad got a map off the internet and then drove me all over town for a few hours one day. We had a great time. In one location he slowed down the car and I jumped out. While I snapped pics of pigs on the sidewalk, he circled the block. By the time he had gone around the block exactly once, I'd gotten all the pigs in that area. I jumped back in the car and we took off to the next location.

See Highlights from Cows on Parade Edinburgh 

No 33 Princes Moo at Edinburgh Cow Parade 2006 by www.theedinburghblog.co.uk

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...more cows!... 

Cow Parade Buttons and Bovine Figurine

Amazon Price: $22.99 (as of 07/13/2009) Buy Now

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Cow Parade Soccer Cow Figurine

Amazon Price: $16.99 (as of 07/13/2009) Buy Now

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Cow Parade Jacques MOOsteau

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GlaMOOrus

Amazon Price: $21.99 (as of 07/13/2009) Buy Now

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Seattle's PIGS ON PARADE 

benefitting the Market Foundation

The Pigs on Parade was really fun to see. One of my faves was one made to look like the brand new stadium with the retractable roof. Later, my mom sent me a poster from the show, which depicted something like 50 of the pigs.

When I later moved to Seattle, the poster found a new home in the kitchen, on a piece of wall the exact size of it, right next to the stairs that go down to the basement. It's adjacent the sliding glass doors to the backyard and we find that both local friends and visiting family all seem to find it and love looking at it.

The Pigs Return!
June 2nd, 2007 the Pigs return to Seattle with the 2nd Pigs on Parade display! The fabulous fundraiser is back, with more new art pigs.

Pigs on Parade

Amazon Price: (as of 07/13/2009)Buy Now
List Price: $29.95
Used Price: $1.15

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Parisian Cows on Parade 

cow parade paris 2006 by gillntonic

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Get Your Cows At Auction! 

The hottest market for collectible cows is eBay. Almost any variety of figurine can be found here given enough time and patience.

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Check Out The Menagerie 

The Trail of Painted Ponies
The Trail of Painted Ponies - Official Website and Store, original Painted Ponies sculpture, plus collectibles, figurines and gifts inspired by The Trail of Painted Ponies art projects.
Big Pig Gig: The Official Site
The Big Pig Gig is a public art event in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.
Pigs On Parade
Downtown Seattle hosted a spectacle of pigs. Hundreds of decorated fiberglass pigs hogged downtown sidewalks, each in the likeness of Rachel, the Pike Place Market's beloved piggybank.
Festival Of Fins, New Orleans, LA
From May through September of 2000, the Young Leadership Council, in partnership with the Arts Council of New Orleans' public art program, held the Festival of Fins, the largest public art display in the city's history.
Hearts in San Francisco
Hearts in San Francisco was a Bay Area-wide "heart installation" that debuted in the spring of 2004. While similar to Chicago's "Cows on Parade," the San Francisco version used a heart icon, appropriate for a city that is recognized for its acceptance and tolerance, as well as being perennially open-hearted.
CowParade London, U.K. - The Official Site
Visit www.cowparade.com, the official site of CowParade, for the latest news and information about CowParade London, U.K.
Palmetto Tree Project
The Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties is sponsoring the Columbia-area's largest-ever public art installation, the Palmetto Tree Project, where SC artists have turned specially cut steel palmetto trees into works of art.
Toronto Moose in the City
Moose in the City home page. This summer, herds of majestic moose will take to the streets in an extraordinary new outdoor art event.

Cow Parade Books 

Here are some great books that feature the collected cow art from some of the major cities that have had cow parade exhibitions!

Cow Parade Videos 


The Cow Parade

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Cow Parade

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Cow Art in Paris (Vach'Art - CowParade 2006)

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MOOOOO

Runtime: 5:11
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Brokeback Cow Parade

Runtime: 0:38
10530 views
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...and even more cows!... 

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