After being cancelled and then saved a week later by CT dog wellness startup Get Joy, the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade returned on Saturday (10/21) for a 2023 edition that looked very different than previous years. With much of the park under construction, Avenue B, shut down starting at 13th St, was taken over by dogs, walking in the street in procession for an actual parade. People lined the blocks to watch, and despite the weather (which was rainy in the morning but mostly cleared up in time for the kickoff at 1 PM) there was a huge turnout, with over 500 dogs and thousands of people.
Judges narrowed the field, which included lots of Barbie-inspired costumes, down to 40 dogs, then six, and Pookah the Pomeranian, dressed as “Winnie the Pookah,” eventually took best in show. They’re all good dogs and winners in my book, though; see lots of pictures below.