Reminders: the 29th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is tomorrow (Sunday!)

[Cleaning up the ERP amphitheater via Dave on 7th]

Tomorrow (Sunday) marks the 29th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade, which, for the second year, is scheduled for the East River Park Amphitheater.


[Photo by Steven]

A few details:

Time: Noon to 3 p.m.

Admission for spectators: It's free!

Dog entry: There is no need to pre-register your pet. Simply arrive between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., per the website

Emcee: 1010 WINS Midday Anchor Susan Richard

Sponsor: The Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group

Previously on EV Grieve:
The 29th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is scheduled for Oct. 20 in East River Park

The 29th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is scheduled for Oct. 20 in East River Park

[Photo yesterday by Edmund John Dunn]

This year's Halloween dog parade is once again scheduled for the East River Park Amphitheater. The year's date: Sunday, Oct. 20 from noon to 3 p.m.

Meanwhile, Parade organizers are hopeful that the Parks Department might waive their sponsorship fees. At this point, the Parade does not have a sponsor. Update: The Heart of Chelsea Veterinary Group has agreed to sponsor the event. (The Parks Department apparently rejected an Amazon sponsorship because the company wanted to distribute Halloween-related items in the Park. Parks officials were said to cite a lack of resources to make this happen.)

Parade organizers are currently holding a fundraiser via Facebook to cover the additional $6,500-$11,000 in fees from the city as well as to to raise money for ongoing upkeep of the dog run. You can find the fundraiser info on Facebook.

The 28th annual dog parade almost didn't happen last year. You can read about what happened at this link.

Given the city's plans for stormproofing East River Park starting in March 2020, this will likely be the last time the amphitheater can host the parade in the years ahead.

At the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade — East River amphitheater edition

The 28th annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade took place yesterday afternoon at a new venue — the East River Park amphitheater. (You can read this post for more about how the parade was nearly canceled.)

Hundreds of dogs and their owners turned out in the most spacious location featuring ESPN's Katie Nolan as the host...



EVG contributor Stacie Joy was there to capture the competition, featuring dogs dressed as dinosaurs, hot dogs, lottery winners, toast, the Pope .. well, see for yourself...








































... and, as always, there were non-canine interlopers...



... and the winners (there's a video here with more on them)...



Previously on EV Grieve:
Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is back on; new deal puts the pups in East River Park and on ESPN this Oct. 28

Sunday's parting shot

A scene from this afternoon's Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in East River Park... we'll post more photos from the dog parade via EVG contributor Stacie Joy tomorrow...

Reminders: The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is Sunday at the East River bandshell

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

Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is back on; new deal puts the pups in East River Park and on ESPN this Oct. 28

[Photo last year by Stacie Joy]

The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade will live for its 28th year in a new deal announced last night.

For starters, the parade — a fundraiser for the dog run — is moving to the East River Park amphitheater ... and taking place Sunday, Oct. 28 between noon and 3 p.m. where ESPN will televise the costume action.

In August, organizers were forced to cancel the event after the city's Parks Department required parade organizers to take out a larger $1 million insurance policy to cover the larger crowds that have attended in recent years. (The parade moved from the dog run to the ballfields/field hockey arena in 2016.)

Organizers did not want to lose local control of the event by giving responsibility over to a corporate entity that could hold the insurance policy and potentially retain control over the event's structure and fundraising.


[Photo last year by Stacie Joy]

District 2 City Councilmember's office Carlina Rivera's office released details about the 2018 Dog Parade in a late-night media advisory:

Councilwoman Rivera worked with the dog run supporters and the community organizers at Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) to come up with a solution, where GOLES would hold the insurance policy and the parade would move to East River Park for 2018. In addition, ESPN will be broadcasting from the parade with host Katie Nolan, and will also be making a $10,000 donation to City Parks Foundation that will go to supporting the Dog Run.

"I am so happy that after months of work with community advocates and dog lovers, the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade will be returning to the community for its 28th iteration. This beloved Lower East Side tradition wouldn't be happening this year without the tireless efforts of Good Old Lower East Side and the supporters of the Tompkins Square Park Dog Run, particularly Ada Nieves who has previously co-hosted the parade and took over planning this year."

The Wall Street Journal first reported the news in a story (subscription required) posted on its website last night (it appears in today's print edition).

A Parks Department spokesperson told the Journal: “Costumed puppies [are] a favorite of all New Yorkers, and we are happy that the parade can go on.”

Added:

East River Park amphitheater
Between Grand and Jackson streets

Previously on EV Grieve:
The Halloween Dog Parade in Tompkins Square Park this fall has been cancelled

The Halloween Dog Parade in Tompkins Square Park this fall has been cancelled

[Photo from 2017 by Stacie Joy]

There will not be a 28th Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade — at least not this year.

Organizers announced on Facebook yesterday that this year's event has been cancelled:

It’s with a very heavy heart that I have to announce that the annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade will be CANCELLED this year.

Although the parade has grown over the past 28 years, it has always been the creation of a small group of volunteers from the dog park. The Parks Dept is asking for a large insurance & liability policy in order to hold the event this year — and we simply don’t have the funds or sponsor willing to provide it.

Having a means to fundraise (or a park conservancy which Tompkins Square does not) was a pre-requisite to renovating our dog park. Over the years the parade has raised more than $200,000 for the park — and secured twice that amount in matching funds. We are also leaving the dog park with an endowment at City Parks Foundation for it’s maintenance and upkeep for the next 10 years.

We wish to thank all our sponsors as well as everyone who has donated time, money, effort or stayed up to the wee hours getting that super hero cape to fit just perfectly on their dog.

We’re hopeful that the annual dog parade will return in some form in the future.

Some residents (and commenters) have complained that the Dog Parade has just gotten too big for Tompkins Square Park. Attendees from past Dog Parades said last year's crowds were the biggest ever. ABC News put the number at 10,000.


[Photo last year from 9th and A by Steven]

The parade moved from the actual dog run to the ballfields/field hockey arena in 2016.


[Photo last year by Stacie Joy]

A fan of the Dog Parade has launched a GoFund Me campaign to "save the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade! Not only will your contribution go towards keeping this annual fundraiser alive, it will help maintain the Tompkins Square Dog Run year round."

At the 27th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade

Here's a sampling of the costumes from the 27th annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade this afternoon via EVG contributor Stacie Joy... (as for the crowds, which some attendees say were the biggest ever, ABC News put the number at 10,000...)





































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