Let’s Give a Round of A-Paws to These Tompkins Dog Parade Participants
Santa Paws, Vincent van Doge, and the papal Pup Leo were among this year’s fierce competition.
Every fall, the East Village transforms into a bustling canine carnival as dog lovers and their furry companions gather for the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. Despite a chilly October 17, both spectators and participants braved the elements to support the event, which saw participants adorned with creative costumes ranging from a Yayoi Kusama-inspired pumpkin to a cyclosporiasis parasite-themed entrant.
Among the 500 participants were dogs dressed in Knicks gear, accompanied by their adoring parents and fans who gathered on lampposts, CitiBike seats, and fire escapes to catch all the action.
This year marked the 36th iteration of the parade, with the event organized by the nonprofit New York Dog Parade, now in its second iteration since longtime organizer Joseph Borduin stepped down in 2024. The parade was sponsored by pet food brand Kismet, co-founded by celebrity couple John Legend and Chrissy Teigen. In addition to the parade festivities, the event aimed to highlight shelter adoptions by bringing 250 dogs up for adoption to the celebration.
With fierce competition among the canine performers, Shih Tzu dressed as Knicks captain Jalen Brunson emerged as the winner of the annual costume contest, edging out other creative entries such as a pug peeking out of a wheel of cheese and a float inspired by the pop star Bad Bunny.
Written by urgent.news from Hyperallergic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
