This article was part of our daily news coverage. For daily updates from the KHOL newsroom subscribe to our podcast feed.
Before the lights dimmed on a successful Teton County fair last week, KHOL contributor Cassidy Morris caught up with a showstopper who has two lives — one as a firefighter, and the other as a clown.
Meet Patrick Branger, otherwise known as “Patty Cakes the Clown.”
“I always loved circuses and fairs and everything like that. I always wanted to get into the fair industry or the circus industry. I always thought it was super cool and kind of what I did. I just kept working towards it. When I was ten years old, that’s when I became a professional clown. Amazingly, I started doing magic shows for birthday parties at ten years old and it was horrible trying to put makeup on. I was probably super scary. And now, I travel around the entire country performing at state and county fairs, ” Branger said.
The Teton County fair arrives in Jackson Hole each year for the last week of July. (Cassidy Morris)
“My mom is super supportive. She was like, ‘Yeah, sure. Whatever.’ And my dad was like, ‘My son wants to be a clown.’ And then my dad saw me making balloon animals at an event and saw me making good money. When I graduated high school, I paid cash for my first vehicle and paid cash for all of my college. All from doing balloon animals at birthday parties and little magic shows.”
The character is a family affair.
“We are a full little family show. It’s my wife and I, and then our son Eli, who’s three years old, and then, grandma comes along,” he shared.
Having his son Eli involved has been particularly special for the Patty the Clown act.
“What’s adorable is our little guy. He likes to watch the show, but sometimes he’ll run around the circus ring on his little Strider bike and then stand there and get people to clap for him. He started doing a new thing where he’ll stand behind our backdrops and he’ll go, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, presenting Eli. And then he’ll run out and he’ll say it all himself, and you’ll run out there, and then he won’t do anything. He’ll just take a bow and then we have to clap for him. So he’s trying to get in the show already.”
Branger’s full-time job is as a firefighter for the City of Billings.
“I work shifts at the fire department. And then we get on the road, we go to a fair, do an event, and then come back and do another shift or two.”
He said he hopes his act both entertains and inspires.
“It’s fun to inspire people. It’s so much fun. I hope everybody enjoyed the show.”
