Circus Elephants Walk Across Manhattan March 22, 2010

Due to the ongoing renovations at Madison Square Garden, Ringling Bros. is skipping NYC in 2012, so there won't be an elephant parade. However, we've rounded up other awesome circus spectacles you can see this spring in New York City.

Once again the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus is heading into town and since the circus elephants can’t go up the Penn Station escalators, they need to get off the circus train a stop early in Queens and walk through the Mid-Town Tunnel, and straight across Manhattan to Madison Square Garden.

Posting this event is always controversial because some people feel that watching the circus elephants march across Manhattan is supporting their mistreatment in the circus. On the other hand, I get lots of emails every year asking me when it 's happening. My position is that this is a pretty crazy thing that happens in NYC and I'm letting people know. Do what you like with the information.

To see the circus elephants parade across Manhattan, line up anywhere along 34th Street between the tunnel and Madison Square Garden. The elephants will be approaching the midtown tunnel around midnight on Monday, March 22nd, 2010. Read our viewing tips here.

Obviously this means that The Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus is in town. The circus will be perfroming March 25, through April 4.  But there are some other interesting circus acts hitting New York at the same time: 

46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes is opening at the New Victory THeater on March 19th-April 4. I love the New Victory's circus shows. You can also sign up for a circus workshop.

The BlackTop Circus is premiering for the first time with its hip hop circus and variety show playing in the Bronx from March 19-21. Tickets from $13.50 for kids, $22 for adults, $20 for mezzanine and $30 for VIP seating. [SHOW CANCELLED]

UPDATE: There is apparently conflicting information on the date for this event. I called Barnum's parent company and they told me that it will be the night of Monday, March 22, so that is the source for the above info.