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Cow Parades... and Beyond!

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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.

Contents at a Glance

Bring Some Cows Home
My First Animal Parade
See Highlights from Cows on Parade Edinb...
...more cows!...
Seattle's PIGS ON PARADE
Parisian Cows on Parade

expand your cow collection

An ever-shifting selection of different reproductions from the various Cow Art Parades.

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

See how the colorful bovines brightened up a bit of Scotland!

...more cows!...

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: $78.88 (as of 05/28/2012)
List Price:
Used Price: $0.01

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Parisian Cows on Parade

Paris, whose motto is Fluctuat nec mergitur, Latin for "It is tossed by the waves, but does not sink," was briefly overrun by a parade of colorful cows...

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.

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!

Orcas in Victoria, BC

exporing in the Inner Harbour

I found a couple of fanciful orca figures when I went to Victoria, BC in the spring of 2012. It was one of those things where we were just walking aorund, and then you turn a corner and suddenly realize you're seeing a statue that's like the cows or pigs, but that's an orca because you are in British Columbia. (It's like going past a sports bar and seeing people cheering a curling match on the television).

From what I've been able to dig up online, the exhibit was "Orcas in the City" and it took place back in 2002, raising money for The British Columbia Lions Society for Children with Disabilities. Apparently that group has done other fundraisers with spirit bears, eagles and terra cotta warriors.