What to Know
- "Elephant Parade," an outdoor art installation, will be on view at several Burbank locations from July 1 through Aug. 31; all of the statues will go on display at IKEA's Upper Parking Lot H from June 26 at 10 a.m. through June 28 at 4 p.m.
- Look for 25 elephant statues decorated by conservation advocates, artists, actors, and notable animal champions
- Free to see
It can seem that the news is frequently packed with amazing and uplifting elephant stories, those tales that feature adult elephants helping a baby elephant out of a pond or employing sounds that indicate elephants use specific names for other elephants.
And yet? Even if the headlines are packed with pachyderm inspiration, other headlines put an urgent focus on helping these magnificent and intelligent earthlings as they continually face a host of woes.
But a large-scale art project is helping to bring important conservation issues to the forefront in a fanciful and eye-catching way.
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It's the Elephant Parade, which is not a procession of actual animals but rather several sizable statues, the sorts of whimsical, conversation-starting artworks that can be placed in prominent places over several weeks.
The pachyderm parade, which began in The Netherlands in 2007, now has its trunk pointed in the direction of Burbank, a city that knows a thing or two about creating memorable moments that stay on our minds and in our hearts.
The Elephant Parade is free to see and will be on view from July 1 through Aug. 31, 2024.
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You won't need to wait for July, though, to admire the decorated statues; they'll enjoy a "Grand Arrival" at IKEA's Upper Parking Lot H on June 26 from 10 a.m. to noon and will remain on display through 4 p.m. on June 28.
If you'd like to view all of the elephant statues gathered in a single spot, this is where you'll want to go.
Starting on July 1, the pretty pachyderms will be dispersed throughout Burbank, with artworks placed in front of some of the hotels near the airport, at Burbank Town Center, and the Starlight Bowl.
A map of all the elephants, and where to find them, is available on the Visit Burbank site.
Some elephants have celebrity designers — actress Lily Tomlin partnered with artist Erin Boyle on her elephant titled "Is Anybody Listening" — while others draw their themes from pop music (Katy Perry's music was one colorful inspiration) and cartoon history (Betty Boop makes a cameo).
"We look forward to welcoming this incredible art exhibition to Burbank and introducing it to our city for the first time," states City of Burbank Mayor Nick Schultz.
"Elephant Parade has become a worldwide art phenomenon, and we are thrilled that Visit Burbank has brought these masterpieces to our city, offering the perfect activity for a family day out, and raising awareness for (the) important cause of elephant conservation."
Adding to the joyful nature of the parade's Burbank run? World Elephant Day is Aug. 12, which happens a few weeks before the engagement is done.
Stop by and pose for a few pictures with the statues and spread the good word before they continue their elephant walk to cities near and far.
