Costa Rica Says Goodbye to the Cow Parade

cow parade
The 131 Cows Gracing the Streets of San Jose Were Given a Festive Send Off.

The cows are leaving! The Cow Parade 2008 said goodbye yesterday as eight of the colorful life-sized ceramic structures passed through the streets of San Jose for the last time, starting in Paseo Colon, in front of Purdy Motors down to the Central Park. An estimated 150,000 people showed up yesterday to enjoy the music, dancing and a procession of over 200 farm animals that gathered to say good-bye to the cows.

Among the farm animals that came to salute the cows from Panaca (an agricultural theme park) were a group of buffaloes from India, each weighing the same as several bulls! Trained dogs were also present to entertain the enthusiastic public; Samanta, a beautiful Red Setter, jumped over volunteer members of the public as the provided obstacles for her. The horse parade brought on screams and shouts and strong applause as they marched presenting their famous Paso Fino.

The cows had been with us for five and a half months now, in all their splendor, set up all over downtown San Jose and also in Multiplaza in Escazu. Each of the 131 cows was individually designed by local artists that were chosen from among hundreds of submissions based on their creative and artistic proposed designs.

The concept for the Cow Parade was created in 1997, by Swiss window decorator and famous artist Walter Knapp, who is recognized all over the world for his charity work. Knapp has taken part in the Special Olympics, Save the Children and the Dana Farer Cancer Institute, and now the Cow Parade, which has promoted more than 10,000 international artists and designated charities that benefit from the proceeds of the auctioned off cattle.

Knapp was inspired by his famous native Swiss cows. He thought that exhibiting his work on cows would be certainly different and innovative. Needless to say, it was a grand success when the first of many exhibitions took place in Zurich in 1999. The cows crossed the Atlantic and reached Chicago in the same year, and soon, they were seen all over the world. The “Cow Parade” has now become an international event. It has been presented in more than 50 cities, including Denver, Paris, Tokyo, London, Cape Town and Moscow.

The cows will be missed. Walking the streets of San Jose and not finding one around the corner will certainly be a little disappointing! Anyone who has taken a strong liking to any of the cows in particular will have the chance to participate in an auction at the Museo de los Niños (Child’s Museum) in San Jose on Sept. 3 t 6:30 p.m. Prices are expected to range between $2,500 and $7,000, with each one starting at $2,000, and a percentage of proceeds will be donated to Costa Rica charities.

Photo courtey of La Nacion.

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