By: Samurah Islam
Dog lovers around New York City gathered together at Tompkins Square Park on Oct. 17th for the 36th Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. The dog parade featured dogs in costumes walking along Manhattan’s Avenue A through Avenue B. Dogs were dressed up as various things ranging from hotdog stands to airplanes.
“The Parade was originally a small gathering for dog owners to spend time with the New York dog community,” according to AMNY. The event has grown over time, but was not officially organized until 2024, when the official non-profit New York Dog Parade was created by Author Fern Watt.
“I started to see that it had grown so much and didn’t have a team behind it to help lead it and make sure it could continue safely and in an organized way. So I formed a nonprofit three years ago called New York Dog Parade, and we became the formal organizing team of this event,” said Watt.
The parade has grown bigger and bigger every year. Many regular attendees have noted that it’s grown over the years, become more organized, and that they’ve been looking forward to the fun costume ideas.
“Last time we came here, I don’t think [the parade’s audience] was as big. But this year it’s definitely filled with people, filled with dogs. So it’s cool,” said Owen Mcgonigle, a parade participant, who dressed as a heated rivalry character with their partner while their dog was dressed as a referee.
Olivia Knott, an audience member dressed up with her friend group and their dogs as “Paw Wars,” inspired by Star Wars said, “[The parade is] a good vibe, good energy, it’s just fun. Everybody laughs, everybody has a great day, it brings a lot of joy.”
Parade participant Harold Yeo shared with The Vanguard his appreciation for the effort put into the dogs’costumes.
“It is just the dog community; everybody loves dogs, and everyone is so creative. So that’s really the fun part. In New York there’s so many creative people and all the energy comes out during the parade.”
Yeo also mentioned how the parade has become more organized over time. “There’s more bureaucracy. I think in the early days, people just came to the park and we just sort of wandered around and had fun. And now I’ve seen infrastructure and organization.”
For many people, the parade is an opportunity to bring dog lovers around the city together. “People are really treating their dogs like family, and so it’s so fun to be out here with your four-legged family member, just celebrating and having fun,” said Watt.
“There’s so many pugs this year, so many different kinds of dogs and cool costumes. So that’s really fun,” said Mcgonigle.
Many creatives and dog lovers around New York see the parade as a special chance to display their creative side.
“In New York, there’s so many creative people, and all the energy all comes out during the parade. It gives everyone the chance to express themselves,” said Yeo.
Coming up with ideas and creating costumes takes time, as Yeo sewed his dog’s buffet costume all by himself. Being a 15-time competitor for the parade, Yeo has spent two months on past costumes.
“The fun thing about the parade is that the fun starts way before the parade starts because I also have fun making the costume,” said Yeo.
The parade lasted approximately two hours until all the dogs had walked, then moved inside the park for the costume contest. The costume contest had 30 participants, all of whom got picked by the judges during the parade and received a ribbon.
“When you register for the parade, […] you can say if you’re interested in competing in the costume contest. But you still get judged at the parade start, and you can get a ribbon, and then that’s how you get here,” explained Watt. “It is a very hard thing to judge because all the dogs are winners. So how do you judge something where every dog is a winner? It’s challenging.”
During the costume contest, contestants are split up into different heats. A heat are separate rounds that are used to narrow down a large competition. There were about six to seven dogs in each heat. The dogs do a walk on the carpet, and the judges pick one dog per round to be considered for the final part.
There were three final dogs: third place went to a costume of French-Austrian royal Marie Antoinette, second place was awarded to a dog that was a part of a charcuterie board costume. The first-place winner was a dog in a Knicks-themed outfit.
The winner was awarded a giant ribbon signed by John Legend and Chrissy Teigen and a $1,000 worth of dog food and treats all sponsored by Kismet, a premium pet food company.
With high spirits and “Knicks in Five” chants the costume contest was concluded and the after party, a public festival block opened up.
For more information regarding the annual dog parade, visit their official website: https://www.nydogparade.org/