The History of the Calliope:

For well over 75 years, the 4th Fest Calliope has been a Fourth of July Parade tradition in Racine. Purchased for $200 in 1938, the calliope was built in Muscatine, Iowa for local dentist Walter “Doc” Gearen.

The calliope was mounted on the wooden frame from a 1922 Franklin automobile and was driven by a steam engine. Over the years, the instrument has been decorated with assorted circus ornamentation and is now powered by a gasoline engine and an air compressor. The compressor pushes air through ducts controlled by a 2.5-octave keyboard and into brass whistles that let loose with an ear-piercing sound.