The resurrected Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade — No. 28! — happens Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. in its new location, the East River Park bandshell.
A little background if you're confused: In August,
organizers were forced to cancel the event after the Parks Department required parade organizers to take out a big $1 million insurance policy to cover the larger crowds that have attended in recent years.
That wasn't going to happen. So no dog parade.
On Oct. 17, City Councilmember Carlina Rivera's office
announced that a deal had been worked out with the dog-run supporters and the folks at
Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES), who will hold the insurance policy.
The parade also moved to the bandshell to accommodate larger crowds. (Plus, there's an actual stage.)
Meanwhile, here a few photos of the bandshell that I took late Wednesday afternoon...
And some history of the bandshell (or amphitheater!) via the Parks Department
website:
In 1941, an amphitheater was built in the park, along with an adjacent limestone recreational building, as part of an urban renewal project for the Lower East Side. During the 1950s, the amphitheater was the site of frequent free Evening-in-the-Park concerts. Joseph Papp (1921-1991), founder of Shakespeare in the Park and the Public Theater, staged Julius Caesar there in 1956. Local schools held their graduation ceremonies there, and the Group of Ancient Drama staged free-of-charge performances of classic Greek plays. In 1973 however, the amphitheater closed due to budget cuts. Vandals attacked the neglected theater and by 1980 it was unusable.
The bandshell reopened in late 2001 —
with the help of Erin Brockovich.
And allow EV Bendy Arrow to show you where it is...
Or you could just watch it
on ESPN with Katie Nolan.
Previously on EV Grieve:
The Halloween Dog Parade in Tompkins Square Park this fall has been cancelled
Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is back on; new deal puts the pups in East River Park and on ESPN this Oct. 28
East River Park Bandshell 1992-93
