The final details of the now-revived Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade are coming together.
The beloved event was put in limbo last month after organizers had trouble securing the necessary permits due to unexpectedly exorbitant fees. Lead organizer Joseph Borduin said he’s been meeting with representatives of all the involved city agencies at the park on a regular basis to nail down finishing touches. And with rain in the weekend forecast, Borduin said they will have ponchos to keep the pooches and their owners dry.
“Five more days, and then I can sit back, relax, and laugh about it all. Be like, ‘We did it!’ How did we do it in such a short period of time?” he told Gothamist on Monday evening.
For those hoping to participate, 600 wristbands will be distributed to humans on a first-come, first-served basis at a table on 13th Street and Avenue B starting at 12 p.m., Borduin said. The wristbands will grant dog parents and their pooches access to the parade and the park.
Dogs and their humans will walk the route down Avenue B where spectators will be lined up, and make a right on 7th Street, which will be blocked off exclusively for participants.
As of Monday night, there was a 40% percent chance of showers in the New York city metro area, according to the National Weather Service. It would be the seventh rainy weekend in a row in the city. But Borduin said the parade is set to take place rain or shine.
The parade will start at 1 p.m. Saturday, during which judges will choose 40 dogs as finalists for a stage competition that will take place inside the park at 2 p.m. Only those with wristbands will be allowed inside.
Borduin said it’s been a challenge to get the logistics ironed out on the expedited timeline, with just weeks between its revival and the event, and not everything came together in time — unfortunately, this year the competition won’t be livestreamed.
“I just hope everyone understands all of the obstacles we had to deal with this year to…
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