Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade Marks 36th Year in NYC's East Village

The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade reached its 36th edition on Saturday, October 17, 2026, filling the East Village with costumed dogs and their owners. Hyperallergic reported that a cold wind blew through the city that day, yet spectators and participants turned out anyway. The march ran from East 13th Street and Avenue B down to Tompkins Square Park.

Around 500 dogs took part, in outfits that ranged widely. "Pup Leo," a papal dog, surveyed the crowd from a Popemobile. Others came as a Yayoi Kusama pumpkin, as the cyclosporiasis parasite that turned up in lettuce this summer, and as a group of Pomeranians in Knicks gear. A corgi wore a Gary the snail costume while its owner dressed as SpongeBob. Onlookers watched from behind barricades, some perched on lampposts and CitiBike seats, and a few residents had views from their fire escapes.

Shelter adoption was a particular focus this year. Organizers brought 250 dogs looking for new homes to the parade. The event was run by the nonprofit New York Dog Parade and sponsored by Kismet, the pet food brand co-founded by John Legend and Chrissy Teigen. It was the second edition since longtime organizer Joseph Borduin stepped down in 2024.

The costume contest drew stiff competition, including a pug poking out of a wheel of cheese on a charcuterie board and a Bad Bunny-themed float. First prize went to a Shih Tzu dressed as Knicks captain Jalen Brunson.

amNewYork also noted the parade's return to the East Village for its 36th year. For Japanese readers, the mix of local sports, current events and contemporary art in the costumes shows how this neighborhood event reflects the city around it, and the adoptable dogs were part of the day alongside the competition.

(Details are drawn from points that agree across reports by amNewYork, Hyperallergic.)