Countywide : It’s a Circus on Streets of Anaheim

The crowd roared as 18 elephants marched down busy Katella Avenue Monday, leading a caravan of 12 horses and four camels, all en route to the circus.

Hundreds of children and their parents lined the streets of Anaheim as the beasts from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus disembarked from the train near Anaheim Stadium and began the trek.

Children literally climbed out of the trees as the parade finally arrived at the Anaheim Convention Center three miles and two hours later.

Boyd Travis, a 12-year-old from La Habra, said he had arrived earlier with his parents at Disneyland but heard there was going to be a circus parade.

“I thought it would be cool to check out the elephants,” Boyd said.

Many of the children were seeing circus animals for the first time.

“I think it was worth waiting to see,” said Lin Hoang of Garden Grove. “I know my children had never seen elephants up close before.”

The high temperatures didn’t deter Lisa Scott from driving from Palm Springs with her 7-year-old son Christopher Curry.

“It was such a nice day, we thought why not,” Scott said.

The circus begins today at the convention center.