The world-famous Scottville Clown Band
Scottville's long-running Clown Band has brought its joyful, noisy parade act to Michigan festivals for generations.
For a small town, Scottville has an outsized claim to fame: the Scottville Clown Band. It’s one of the most loved and longest-running acts in Michigan. If you’ve been to a summer parade anywhere in the state, odds are you’ve heard them coming. Some call them “the Big Noise from Scottville.”
It started back in 1903. A group of Scottville merchants formed a band, put on costumes, and clowned around at local celebrations. The group faded during World War II. Then a local merchant revived it in 1947 and gave it the name it still carries. Ever since, the band has marched in zany outfits and played crowd-pleasers like “The Stripper.” They make a joyful racket at parades and festivals from one end of Michigan to the other.
Today its members come from all walks of life and from all over the map. They play purely for the love of it. The band is a nonprofit, and it puts its energy into music scholarships and youth programs. It also built and looks after the Museum of Music at White Pine Village south of Ludington, where its own colorful story is on display.
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Last reviewed against the listed sources: June 6, 2026.