[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