Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade

By Amy Fernandez

Tompkins Square Park has been a NYC dog zone for longer than anyone remembers. These days, it enjoys extensive official acknowledgement in that regard, as illustrated by the 32^nd annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade, which returned this year following a two-year Covid hiatus. The place was packed, with long lines, massive crowds, and plenty of media coverage.

However, this thriving canine ecosystem long predated the park’s recent trendy reputation. Local dog owners simply invaded the territory. It was a practical solution for residents with limited space and lots of dogs. Manhattan Island’s primary allure was its natural harbors. Much of the actual surrounding territory was predictably wet and useless for farming or real estate development, including Tompkins Square.  The park’s original owners, the Stuyvesant family, seeing no revenue potential in 10.5 acres of salty marshland, handed it over to the city as a perpetual public space and a nice tax write-off.

Designated as unimproved, agricultural land, this chunk of subprime real estate was eventually put to effective use by the local dog owners. Dogs were always allowed in the park simply because no one cared what went on there. Clearly, that approach had a downside. But it was ideal from a canine perspective.

The resultant quirky dog scene began as an offshoot of the creative vibe that traditionally defined the East Village. That hodgepodge of dogs. artists and art eventually catalyzed the Tompkins Square Halloween dog parade, which, despite the name, has never featured an actual parade. (The etymology of that bizarre designation requires a separate story). What began as an obscure, fringy, neighborhood get-together gradually morphed into something much more organized and sophisticated, complete with parade permit, sponsors, celebrities and tons of pre-parade hype and frenzy.

The part I found most interesting was the formalized entry and judging process, which appears to be lifted from AKC procedure. Okay, maybe not the evaluation criteria. But it is curious that–despite all the anti-AKC rhetoric pervading mainstream news–our approach seems to provide the ideal template for managing a big canine gathering.

Pre-entries were slotted into nine categories, with the eventual winner designated as Best In Show.  In addition to big prizes, the competition drew national and international media coverage and hundreds of contestants. After 32 years, Tompkins Square now ranks as the world’s largest dog costume show/festival/whatever. Now, we know what every NYC dog owner did with their lockdown time.

This year’s BIS winner, Bodega Cat, almost qualified as installation art. Disguised in feline sartorial splendor, the little white dog presided over a miniature bodega, complete with lotto tickets, a dodgy ATM machine and kitty nestled in a jankety bin of outdated chips and snacks. It was truly a slice of NYC reality! But there were so many great costumes and, just like show dogs, these extrovert dogs loved the attention.

Rumor has it that event organizers are planning for an actual parade next year. Happy Halloween!!

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=251529

Posted by admin on Nov 15 2022. Filed under Current Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.