Start your costumes, New York. The city's most beloved Halloween dog parade marches on…

35th Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade Returns Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025
Brought to you by New York Dog Parade, sponsored by Stella & Chewy's

NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade returns to the East Village for its 35th year. With attendance soaring in recent years, the 2025 parade will once again bring thousands of costumed pups and their humans together. This year's event will be organized by New York Dog Parade, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by author and canine columnist Fern Watt, with support from Stella & Chewy's, a leader in premium pet nutrition.

Once again, the East Village will transform into a runway of four-legged fashion, with pups and their humans showing off looks ranging from sharp political satire to pop-culture icons — alongside timeless crowd-pleasers like hot dogs, superheroes, and barking dinosaurs.

"Community events that center on joy and silliness are worth holding onto — especially right now," said Fern Watt, Founder of New York Dog Parade. "Yes, the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is about dressing your pup in a beautiful, sometimes even statement-making costume. But it's also about celebrating our friendship with dogs — the companions who make our city and our lives happier every day."

As shelters across New York City operate at or near capacity, the parade is stepping up with a new pet adoption awareness initiative. Four adoptable pups — from organizations including Pup Starz, Social Tees, and the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) — will be given the honor as Parade Grand Marshals, shining a spotlight on the thousands of canine New Yorkers still waiting for loving homes. 

What began as a grassroots gathering in Manhattan's first dog run has grown into what many celebrate as the largest Halloween dog celebration in the world.

"The heart of Stella & Chewy's has always been in New York City. The brand was built in my Upper West Side apartment," said Marie Moody, Founder of Stella & Chewy's. "By sponsoring the New York Dog Parade, we want to honor, uplift, and give back to the community who helped us build the brand we are today."

New York Dog Parade has been working to implement crowd-control strategies, safety measures, and expanded programming for both dogs and humans at this year's event. Pumpkin Pet Insurance and Bond Vet have also stepped up to support the festivities. New York Dog Parade is welcoming volunteers, and those interested in supporting can sign up at nydogparade.org. The parade remains free to attend, but wristbands and pre-registration will be required for participation in the parade and costume competition (first-come, first-served). Registration launches Oct. 6 at midnight.

For updates, visit nydogparade.org or follow @nydogparade on Instagram.

New York Dog Parade

New York Dog Parade is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together through dogs.

Through elegant parades and creative canine-themed events, the organization creates community, friendship, and joy, while supporting causes that help dogs and humans in need. 

The event is on Sunday, October 19, from 1–4 PM in the East Village. This year's event features a parade down Avenue B and an exclusive, limited-entry Costume Competition. 

Advance registration and a ticket are required to participate in both the Parade and Competition, and will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration opens October 6. 

The event will also include a festival block for participants on 6th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C, where Stella & Chewy's, among other exciting event partners, will be offering treats and surprises for four-legged guests. 

New York Dog Parade is looking for volunteers to help with the event, and there are lots of opportunities to get involved. If you're interested in volunteering or supporting this beloved community tradition email [email protected]. Visit NYDogParade.org and follow @NYDogParade for updates

Fern Watt, Founder of New York Dog Parade

Coincidentally named after a dog, Fern has been writing about our canine friends for over ten years, and how she managed to get behind the world's most important dog parade is its own kind of New York fairytale…

A former East Village resident, Fern used to attend the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog parade with her 160-pound English Mastiff, Gizelle, back when it was still a small neighborhood gathering in the dog run. In 2023, she returned as a judge and media communications officer for the Tompkins Square Dog Run, playing a key role in saving the event after it faced cancellation. That experience revealed the need for a formal organizing team, prompting her to begin working with the Mayor's Office to create one. She also saw a need for more creative dog events, and the ability for dogs to create low key common grounds that help connect us with each other. This vision became the foundation for her nonprofit.

Watt's obsession with the power of the dog–human bond began in 2015, when a story about Gizelle's bucket list went viral. Thousands of messages poured into her inbox, sparking a global conversation about the joy and meaning dogs bring to our lives. That story became her first book, Gizelle's Bucket List (Simon & Schuster), which was translated into more than a dozen languages and inspired readers worldwide to create bucket lists for their own dogs. On Gizelle's Bucket List: the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade.

Since then, her career has expanded into writing, television, and nonprofit leadership—all driven by her belief in the unique ability of dogs to connect us. Growing up in an addictive household, Watt often turned to her dogs for support, crediting them with teaching her empathy, forgiveness, and compassion. Today, she continues to be inspired by what we can learn about ourselves—and each other—through the companionship of dogs. Organizing this parade has not been without challenges, for both Watt and the City, but the irony of being stressed about a parade of dogs is not lost on her. 

Deeply rooted in NYC's canine community, her wallet is stacked with business cards for Barkley the Sheepadoodle and Bebe the Pekingese, and her phone is filled with contacts saved as Kuma the Pug and Pookah the Pom. For all her dog obsession, Fern resists the well-worn trope of loving dogs more than people. She believes many of us need dogs to connect with people. 

SOURCE New York Dog Parade