Tompkins Square Dog Halloween Parade

The puppies paraded through Tompkins Square Park in their Halloween finest this past Sunday, and once again I joined the camera clicking hordes eager to record the event. This was my fifth year photographing the event and I enjoyed spotting some perennial favorites, rocking always-awesome costumes. But if I had to narrow down the best costumes I’d go with these:

Woof with the Wind (up top and above)
Gracie the pug took top honors this year with this Scarlett O’Hara themed-ensemble (and when I say she looked like Scarlett O’Hara I mean it). As soon as I saw this I knew it was a winner: her tongue-out, bug-eyed expression was sheer perfection, and her owner actually wheeled her into the ring so it looked like she was walking in her little hoop skirt. If you had any doubt that Gracie is a diva, check out her Marie Antoinette costume from 2008. Clearly she is a force to be reckoned with come costume day.

Tron
Wow. Just–wow. Are you kidding me? The diaroama, the jumpsuit, the little plastic helmet… and timely too. Will everyone shut up about Daft Punk and Tron already? I knew it was going to be tough to beat this.

Antoine Dodson
Best internet meme costume ever, and this was the right dog for it because he looked really pissed off while everyone was taking his picture. Bonus points for creating something this good out of a simple wig and bandanna. Good thing they brought the sign though or I would not have figured it out.

Lobster Pot
Another simple and effective costume. Plus this pup seemed thrilled to sit in his pot while his owner carried him around. I think he was Oscar the Grouch one year. Clearly they are sticking with what works–dye the dog, stick him in some receptical, voila.

Bedbugs
Out of the bunch, this was really the only frightening costume, so kudos for that. These pups always seem to sleep their way through the parade. I think last year they were Snoopy and Woodtsock fighting the Red Baron with their powers of slumber. I would not be surprised if their owners were professional set designers from the quality of their costumes.

Dracula
The right dog for the right costume. Wickedly simple, but great attitude. Loved it.

Butter
Food-themed costumes are always big, but usually you see hot dogs and tacos. This costume cuts straight to the heart of the matter–butter really does make everything better. The little pat on the head was the perfect touch.

Kit-Kat
I friggin loved getting those fun-sized Kit-Kats in my bag of Halloween candy. These two looked a little nervous but were the perfect pair.

Many, many more photos on my Flickr.