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Just last week, we broke the news that the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade would be canceled for 2023. The cancellation sent the internet into a tirade, and it seems city officials listened. As of this morning, the event is back on thanks to several local government leaders and a new sponsor.
Mark your calendar for the annual parade on Saturday, October 21 from 1-3pm; stay tuned for more details. In addition to the traditional parade activities, an "experiential area" will be added this year across from the parade route on Avenue B and 7th St. with activities, services and sample stations. The event is already the largest Halloween dog costume contest in NYC—and perhaps even in the world—and now it'll be bigger than ever before.
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The Tompkins Square Park Dog Run announced the news on Instagram this morning, writing "Keep working on those costumes…THE PARADE! IS! BACK! ON! 🐶" Their announcement thanked sponsor Get Joy, a local dog wellness startup, for saving the parade. Parade leaders also thanked Mayor Eric Adams and Councilwoman Carlina Rivera "for quickly jumping into action."
Rivera announced this year's route as follows: The parade will take place from 1-3pm on Avenue B from E. 6th Street to E. 14th Street, with staging on E. 7th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. Additionally, a stage will be set up in Tompkins Square Park.
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For more than three decades the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade has been a tradition welcoming hundreds of dogs in adorable outfits.
"It's a celebration of joy, creativity and the unbreakable bond between humans and their four-legged best friends," Fern Watt, dog author and communications officer of the Tompkins Square Park Dog Run, said in a press release. "It's basically the Met Gala for the Canine Community. We’ve been overcome by the amazing display of support from our community, so call the pup-arazzi: the show will go on!"
Watt will serve as a judge for the event, alongside Get Joy founder/CEO Tom Arrix, Get Joy's Veterinary Advisor Dr. Brett Levitzke of VERG Brooklyn, and others. Expect incredible prizes for winners of various costume contest categories, including best in show, people’s choice, most creative and more.
Year after year, the canine costumes prove remarkably elaborate and conceptual, so get creative. Some of our favorite looks from past years include Phantom of the Opera, Starbarks, and even an NYC garbage can. The ingenuity knows no bounds.
This isn't the first time the parade has faced cancellation, by the way. Amid the pandemic in 2020, the parade paused, but it came roaring back in 2021. Plus, back in 2018, parade officials announced the event was canceled because of a hefty insurance and liability policy. Then, they changed changed course and held the parade after all—just like this year.