CowParade is an international public art exhibit that has featured in major world cities. Fiberglass sculptures of cows are decorated by local artists, and distributed over the city centre, in public places such as train stations, important avenues, and parks. They often feature artwork and designs specific to local culture, as well as city life and other relevant themes.
After the exhibition in the city, which may last many months, the statues are auctioned off and the proceeds donated to charity.
There are a few variations of shape, but the three most common shapes of cow were created by Pascal Knapp, a Swiss-born sculptor who was commissioned to create the cows specifically for the CowParade series of events. Pascal Knapp owns the copyrights to the standing, lying, and grazing cow shapes used in the CowParade events.
History The concept of "cow parade" has its origins in Zürich, Switzerland, in 1998 by artistic director Walter Knapp, it is based on an idea which was realised in the same city for the first time in 1986: lions as the symbol of Zurich were painted and then on display throughout the city.
The Zürich exhibit 1998 was not called "cow parade"—it was called Land in Sicht ("Land ho"). The concept was brought to the United States when Chicago businessman Peter Hanig, along with Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Lois Weisberg, organized an event in Chicago in 1999 called Cows on Parade. A Swiss company, CowHolding Parade AG, started to explore the idea. The American company capitalizing on this idea, CowHolding Parade, was founded in 1999; the Swiss company promptly sued but the case fizzled out without results. A bronze casting of one of the cows is on permanent display in Chicago in commemoration of the city's initial exhibition.
The success of this venture inspired many other cities to host similar fundraising projects. The idea has been taken up by other cities which have chosen animals for public art projects with painted fiberglass sculptures (e.g. Liverpool) (see Similar projects).
Cows
Past locations Chicago, Illinois, US (1999) New York, New York, US (2000, 2021) Bilbao, Spain (2001) Ventspils, Latvia (2002) Buenos Aires, Argentina (2006) Houston, Texas, US (2001) Kansas City, Missouri, US (2001) Portland, Oregon, US (2002) Prague, Czech Republic (2004) Manchester, England, UK (2004) Athens, Greece (2006) Edinburgh, Scotland, UK (2006) Denver, Colorado, US (2006) Toulouse, France (2012) Santa Catarina, Brazil (2011) visiting Blumenau, Camboriú, Florianópolis, Joinville, Rio Negrinho Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, US (2004) Perth, Western Australia (2016) San Luis Obispo, California, US (2016) Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (2021) Toronto, Ontario, Canada (2022) San Antonio, Texas, US (2025)
Similar projects
The phenomenon of CowParade has spawned copy-cat statue decorating projects in a number of cities worldwide.
Zürich itself has adapted the bear theme in the "Teddy-Summer" in 2005.
Elephant Parades
Elephant Parade is dedicated to saving the Asian elephant from extinction with auctioned off proceeds going to the Elephant Family organisation.
LocationNameExhibitsDateCopenhagen Elephant Parade 102 baby elephants 2011 JuneHasselt Elephant Parade2012Heerlen Elephant Parade2011London Elephant Parade2010Singapore Elephant Parade 2011
Buddy Bears
This adopts the Cowparade idea to Berlin's town mascot; however the entailing United Buddy Bears exhibitions are very different from all other urban events. The bears were created by the German artists Klaus and Eva Herlitz. The idea and the philosophy behind the United Buddy Bears exhibitions are unique: with its international approach and its symbolism, this synthesis of the arts globally promotes tolerance, international understanding and a peaceful coexistence.
LocationNameNumber of Buddy BearsDateBerlin Buddy Bear Berlin Show 350 2001 and 2002Berlin + since 2004 worldwide United Buddy Bears Worldtour150 2002 and 2003, since 2004 worldwide
Wild in Art Since 2008 Wild in Art has created sculpture trails since 2008 from Aberdeen to Cape Town including events associated with sporting events (2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games).
LocationNameExhibitsDateAberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness Oor Wullie's Big Bucket Trail 60 WulliesJune 17, 2019, for 6 weeksAberdeen Wild Dolphins50 Dolphins June 23, 2014Ashford, Kent Snowdogs Discover Ashford55 Snowdogs September 12 – November 18, 2018Birmingham Big Hoot89 owlsJuly 20 to September 27, 2015BirminghamBig Sleuth100 sun bearsJuly 10 to September 17, 2017Bournemouth Pride in Bournemouth 50 lions 2011Bristol Gromit Unleashed 80 Gromits 2013Cambridge Cows about Cambridge90 Red Poll cowsJune 28, 2021, to September 4, 2021Chester Rhino Mania 70 rhinos 2010Liverpool Go Penguins142 penguins2009Liverpool Go Superlambananas!125 Superlambananas 2008London 83 Wenlock and Mandeville mascots2012London Year of the Bus Sculpture Trails 41 buses 2014Manchester Bee in the CityOver 100 beesJuly 23 to September 23, 2018Norwich GoGoDragons!84 large dragons, 120 school dragons2015
Asia Bat Yam "Masks" (2006–2007) Jerusalem, "Lions of Jerusalem" (2002) Tel Aviv, "Shvarim VeShe'arim" (2005) Tel Aviv, "A Gateway to the World" (2007) Dubai, "Camel Caravan" (2003) Tokyo, "Totoro Comes to Town" (2021)
Europe
LocationNameExhibitsDate's-Hertogenbosch Garden of Earthly Delights sculpture trail Figures taken from the Hieronymus Bosch work The Garden of Earthly Delights 2016Bath King Bladud's Pigs104 pigs 2008Bath Lions of Bath100 lions 2010Bristol Shaun in the City Shaun the Sheep visits Bristol in the summer 2015, after the spring 2015 visit to London. To coincide with Shaun the Sheep Movie. 2015Bristol Wow! Gorillas 61 gorillas 2011Colchester Stand tall 112 giraffes 2013Dortmund 120 winged rhinos2005, expanded for 2006 FIFA World CupGlasgow Clyde's Mascot Trail 25 Clydes, the mascot of the 2014 Commonwealth Games2014Hamburg Hans Hummel 100 Hans Hummel2003Hannover Elefanten-Parade45 elephants2004'Istanbul Shoe Art500 shoes2008 SeptemberHullLarkin with Toads40 toads2010Kaiserslautern Fishing for Phantasy250 fish2001Leipzig LeOLips100 lions2002London What's in your DNA? 21 double helix sculptures including designed by Zaha Hadid, Orla Kiely and Ai Weiwei June 29 – September 6, 2015London Shaun in the City 50 Shaun the Sheep. Associated with a parade in Bristol in the summer 2015, and release of Shaun the Sheep Movie March 28 to May 25, 2015 London Budgie the Little Helicopter Comes to Town2021London The Big Egg Hunt2012London The Paddington Trail 50 Paddington Bears 2014London Tusk Rhino Trail 21 rhinosSeptember 2018Munich Löwenparade 500 lions2004Neustadt an der AischAischgruender Karpfen120 carp2008 September Newport South Wales, UKSuperDragons 60 dragons 2010Northampton Pride of Northampton2010Norwich Go Elephants54 baby elephants2008Norwich GoGoGorillas!53 gorillas2013Paris Pathé Roosters50 roosters2021Sheffield Herd of Sheffield58 elephants2016Southampton Go Rhinos!rhinos2013Versmold Bunte Borstenviecher 120 pigs2007Wells Swans of Wells 60 swans2012, to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth IIWolverhampton Wolves in Wolves30 wolves5 July 5, 2017 – 24 September 2017Wuppertal Pinguinale200 penguins2006Zürich Teddy-Summer630 teddy-bears2005
North America Anaheim, California, baseball player Mickey Mouse, for the 2010 MLB All-Star Week Anchorage, Alaska, "Wild Salmon on Parade" (2005) Ann Arbor, Michigan, "Wolverines on Parade" (2023) Atlanta, Georgia, "Dolphins on Parade" (2011) Austin, Texas, "GuitarTown" (2007) Baltimore, Maryland, "Fish Out Of Water" (2001), "Crabtown Project" (2005) Baraboo, Wisconsin, "Bozo the Clown Comes to Town" (2021) Bennington, Vermont, "Moosefest" (2005 & 2009) "PaletteFest" (2006) Blacksburg, Virginia, "Gobble de Art" (2006) Bloomington, Indiana "Brain Extravaganza" (2012) (22 fiberglass brains) Boyertown, Pennsylvania, "Bear Fever" Bradenton, Florida, "GECKOFest" (2006) Brevard County, Florida "Shuttles Orbiting the Space Coast" (2009) Bucks County, Pennsylvania, "Miles of Mules" Buffalo, New York, "Herd About Buffalo" Cadiz, Kentucky, "Meet the Pigs of Cadiz, Kentucky" Cairo, New York, "Bears and Butterflies" (2009–2011) Calgary, Alberta, with lifesize cow statues, as a nod to the cattle industry in Alberta Catskill, New York, "Cat-N-Around Catskill" (2007–2013) Cedar Rapids, Iowa, "Overalls All Over" (2001) Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, "AbZOOlutely Chestnut Hill" (2006) Chicago, "Horses of Honor" (2015), "Garfield Goose Comes to Town" (2022) Cincinnati, Ohio, "Big Pig Gig" Clearwater, Florida, "Dolphin Trail" (2012) Cleveland, Ohio, "GuitarMania" (2012) Crystal City, Virginia, "Crystal Flight" (2008) Dallas, Texas, "Pegasus" (2001) Detroit, Michigan, "Tigers on Parade" (2022) Dothan, Alabama, "Peanuts Around Town" (2001) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, "Bison" (2005) El Segundo, California, "Matty Mattel Comes to Town" (2021) Elkhart County, Indiana, "ElkArt on Parade" (2011) Erie, Pennsylvania, "GoFish!" (2000), "LeapFrog" (2004) Eugene, Oregon, "Ducks on Parade" (2002) Flagstaff, Arizona "PAWS" (2009) Germantown, Tennessee "The Horses are Coming! The Horses are Coming!" (21 Horses) (2008) Glendale, Ohio, Black Squirrels Glens Falls, New York, "Have a Seat" (Painted Chairs) (2011) Gloucester County, Virginia, Beehives (2001) Halifax, Nova Scotia, "Lobsters" (2005) Hudson, New York, Dogs (2008 & 2009) (Since they're across the river from Catskill's Cats) Indiana, "Bison-Tennial" (2016) Iowa City, Iowa, "Herky on Parade" (2004) Irvington, New York, "Bulldog Gallery" (2023, 2024), inspired by "Cat-N-Around Catskill" Jacksonville, Florida, "The Manatees of Jacksonville" (2005) Jasper, Alabama, "20-Mule Team Public Art Project" (2011) Juneau, Alaska, "Whale Tail Trail" (2012) Lakeland, Florida, "Swansation" (2002) Langley, British Columbia, "Horsing around Langley" Las Vegas, Nevada, "An Affair of the Art" (2013) Lexington, North Carolina, "Pigs in the City" Los Angeles, California, "A Community of Angels" Louisville, Kentucky, "Gallopalooza" Madison, Wisconsin, "Bucky on Parade" (2018) Memphis, Tennessee, "Tigers Around Town" (100 Tigers) (2011) Miami, Florida, "Rooster Walk" (2002) Mountain Towns of New York (Windham, Hunter, and surrounding areas), "Rip Lives" (Small concrete replicas of Rip Van Winkle) (2010–2012) Naperville, Illinois, United Way hosts an annual exhibit (2001–2007) Nappanee, Indiana, "Apple-Picking" (2013) New Braunfels, Texas,"Stein Parade" (2006) New York, New York, "MLB Statues On Parade" (June–July 2008) New Orleans, Louisiana, "Paws on Parade" (2012) "Festival of Fins" (2000) Norfolk, Virginia, "Mermaids on Parade" (2000) Retrieved October 12, 2012 North Tonawanda, New York, "Carousel Horses on Parade" (2021) Ocala, Florida, "Painted Horse Trail" (2001) Odessa, Texas, "Jackrabbit Jamboree" (2004) Oklahoma, "Spirit of the Buffalo" Ottawa, Ontario, tulips, at the Ottawa Tulip Festival 2005 in Major's Hill Park and at the Canadian National Exhibition Direct Energy Centre Oxford, Maryland, "Take a Tour of Oxford's Picket Fences" (2009) Park Ridge, Illinois, "Promise of Park Ridge" (2008) Pensacola, Florida, "Pelicans in Paradise" Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, "Phanatic Around Town Project" (2010), "Donkeys Around Town" (2016) Pinecrest, Florida "SmARTy Dogs for Smart Schools" (2011) Pittsfield, Massachusetts, "Sheeptacular" (2004) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, "DINO-mite Days" (2000) Providence, Rhode Island, Mr. Potato Head (2000) Racine, Wisconsin, "Monumental Squares" (2014), "Summer Block Buster" (2013), "Summer Trunk Show" (2012), "Potsarazzi" (2011), "Hour Town" (2010), "Sunny and Chair" (2009), "Sphere Madness" (2008), "Lighten Up" (2007), "Bird is the Word" (2006), "Downtown Summer Splash" (2005), "Downtown Bears It All" (2004), "Cat'n Around Downtown" (2003), "Dog Days of Summer" (2002) Richmond, Virginia, "Go Fish!" (2001)