Largest Dog Parade In The World Draws 100’s Of Costumed Dogs To New York Park

This weekend was the 29th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in Manhattan. New Yorkers and their decked out pups hit East River Park in creative and adorable costumes, delighting the scores of onlookers and participants alike. Despite scattered showers and gray skies, the parade was very well attended by those on two and four feet. Get in the spirit of Halloween with these witty, clever, and cute costumed pups.

About Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade

Called “the largest dog costume parade in the world” by CNN the annual event draws 100’s of costumed participants and 1000’s of spectators. The event is completely free and includes a runway show for those wishing to participate in the Best in Show competition followed by a grand parade of all participants. Time Out New York says that “the getups are remarkably elaborate and conceptual.” 

History of Tompkins Square Dog Run

In the mid 1980’s, Tompkins Square Park was not a very inviting place to visit. The city and park in particular had been plagued by high crime and drug use. Area citizens urged City Hall to restore the park and carve out a safe, desirable place to gather with dogs. City Hall renovated the park and the first dog run was opened in 1990. The parks department had one caveat when agreeing to build the dog run. The run had to be managed and funded by the community members, not the city.

Those who fought hard to make the run a reality organized volunteers and raised funds. That group, called Friends of First Run, remains active today. They raised $450,000 to upgrade the dog park in 2008. Improvements to the dog run included a state-of-the-art running surface composed of decomposed granite sand, underground drainage, a large and small dog run, 3 swimming pools, picnic tables, and bath areas and hoses to clean up your dog before going home. 

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Snoopy and the Red Baron took the Best in Show prize, which is no surprise given the engineering and ingenuity that went into the costume. If these photos are any indication, it was an exciting and fun event for all!

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