Canines, crowds, cops and chaos: At the annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Given the many unknowns and last-minute approvals (we documented this here), the 34th edition of the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade on Saturday was as chaotic as expected — at least behind the scenes. 

This year, the event was reduced to a parade processional only — there were no contests, judges, emcees, stage, or prizes. Anyone interested in walking in the parade with their dressed-up pooch had to register at 13th Street and Avenue B. The parade started on Avenue A and 13th Street and ended at Seventh Street. 

The city placed barricades along Avenue A for parade watchers — and they turned out in droves. The city seemed to underestimate how many people might be interested in watching a well-known and publicized event featuring adorable dogs in costumes on a picture-perfect fall day. 

First, let's look at the participants... there were many clever and creative costumes (nicely done, given the last-minute scramble to announce how to participate)...

The beginning of the parade got underway OK at 12:30 p.m. (30 minutes earlier than advertised), though it was slow going. The NYPD's Community Affairs unit led the march on Avenue A. (In hindsight, letting the participants go one at a time instead of in a mob may have been better.)

While there was a heavy police presence, sources told us that the NYPD called in law-enforcement reinforcements who were previously working the National Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Parade on 26th Street and Madison Avenue.

The NYPD stopped the parade at 1:19 p.m., and after all the wristbands were dispersed, no more attendees were permitted. Regardless, several people either created fake wristbands or snuck into the parade. 

The police formed a human chain to move everyone back and set up barricades to prevent people from entering Tompkins Square Park from Avenue A. 

People eventually streamed into the Park anyway, which isn't set up to handle large crowds without more than three porta-potties. 

The Park field house remains under renovation. The city will supply additional porta-potties for events like the Dance Parade and the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, though no one thought to do this for the Dog Parade. (Last year's edition was initially canceled, then revived and included a parade on Avenue B and a costume contest in the center of Tompkins.) 

There were other issues, such as the fact that no volunteers from the New York City Community Emergency Response Team (NYC CERT) showed up to assist as promised. 

Joseph Borduin, the volunteer parade producer, was left frustrated and angry over the city's ongoing lack of cooperation and the long wait with bureaucratic stumbling blocks to get the event up and running in the hours before. 

Officials dragged their feet on scheduling a walkthrough with city agencies to approve the parade route, which meant Bourduin and his organizers couldn't release any details for participants until the last minute.

It's possible that we saw our last Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade. The event and the crowds it attracts have simply outgrown the Park — even when large swaths aren't closed for construction. 

The Dog Parade/Festival occurred in East River Park in 2018, 2019 and 2021. A mostly tree-less East River Park, currently gutted with few available amenities, is several years away from being usable. 

Ultimately, finding volunteers willing to endure the thankless chore and stress of navigating the maze of city bureaucracy may be difficult.