Dogs dazzle at Fort Greene’s Great PUPkin Costume Contest • Brooklyn Paper

Cruising to win: $1 billion Powerball winner Pug “Beast” placed third in the 26th annual Great PUPkin Costume Contest at Fort Greene Park.

Photo by Gabriele Holtermann

Canines and their two-legged friends had a howling good time at the 26th annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest in Fort Greene Park on Oct. 26.

Brooklyn’s largest and most creative puppy costume contest drew over 1,000 attendees who cheered on pups strutting elaborate outfits. The themes ranged from movies, opera, and fairy tales to the newly crowned WNBA champions, the New York Liberty, and iconic Brooklyn landmarks.

PUPkin event manager Alana Davis told Brooklyn Paper that the contest serves a fundraiser for the Fort Greene Park Users and Pets Society, a nonprofit supporting the community’s 1,500-plus dog owners. The event is free, but attendees are encouraged to donate, and there is a $20 entry fee for participants.

“We provide poop bags, water bowls — we’re part of the lawn rotation program in Fort Greene Park. We make the park safe for dog owners and non-dog owners [and] provide puppy training,” Davis said, calling the contest “a nice fall day in Brooklyn.”

“Everyone’s here to smile and to root for the underdog, literally,” she added. “It’s a great feeling of community.”

The Scoobie Doobie Brothers warmed up the crowd, which began gathering around 9:30 a.m. for the contest’s noon kickoff. This year’s judges included Council Member Crystal Hudson, Julie Raskin, vice chair of Fort Greene Park, and Brooke LaMantia, a writer for The Cut.

A pug named Beast, dressed as a $1 billion Powerball winner (complete with a Ferrari prop), placed third. Pooch Otter took second, channeling Liberace in a costume adorned with lace, sequins and pearls, seated by a toy piano. The grand prize went to Gemma, an audience favorite dressed as a Babybel cheese, who wowed the crowd with tricks.

Newly crowned WNBA champion and Liberty MVP Jonquel Jones…

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