The streets of the Big Apple were filled with pups sporting Halloween costumes for NYC’s 34th Annual Dog Parade as the spooky season arrives. The event occurred at the Annual Tompkins Square Park on Oct. 19, just ahead of Halloween. Every year, dog owners accompany their canines, who are dressed in fascinating outfits, to walk down the street of the East Village neighborhood. This year’s parade was no different with pooches wearing show-stealing costumes and marching down the streets with their owners.
How the NYC Halloween Dog Parade brings the community together
In New York City, the community comes together every year to celebrate NYC’s Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade. This year marked the 34th annual event with dogs and puppies appearing in scores, dressed in creatively-adorned Halloween costumes. The parade started at noon when the canines lined up at the Tompkins Square Dog Run. PEOPLE reported that the march took an unusual detour through Avenue A from 13th to 7th Street due to construction work.
The 2024 Annual Halloween Dog Parade in NYC saw innovative costumes with pooches dressed as pizza slices. Others donned outfits like Austin Powers and some even showed up as Taylor Swift fans, aka Swifties. Another canine flaunted a lion’s mane but seemingly couldn’t roar, while another dressed up as Sherlock Holmes. At the event, dogs and their owners even receive prizes for their creativity and effort in creating such outstanding costumes.
A commercial photographer named Joseph Borduin has been responsible for orchestrating the NYC Halloween Dog Parade since 2020. Borduin, who is also a Tompkins Square Park Dog Run volunteer, marked his final year as the parade’s organizer. He told Gothamist, “I’m done. No more.” The photographer explained that a “bigger entity” should take over the big-scale event “because it’s just too much for a small dog park to handle.”
NYC’s Halloween Dog Parade inspires pet owners to include their furry friends in their spooky season celebrations. It serves the idea of getting creative with Halloween costumes while also ensuring the well-being of animals. Truth be told, there is no better feeling than seeing your pet in an adorable outfit.