Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade 2026: Time, Route, Where to Watch
The 36th Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade was Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 11am on Avenue B. The route and how it worked.
On this page 8 sections
The 2026 parade is over. It was Saturday, October 17. The rest of this page is how it worked, kept as a record. For the rest of Halloween 2026, see Halloween in NYC 2026.
The 36th Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade was Saturday, October 17, 2026, stepping off at 11am. It ran south on Avenue B from East 13th Street to East 7th Street at Tompkins Square Park. Watching was free, needed no sign-up and needed no dog.
Registration to march filled up for 2026, so most people came as spectators. That’s the better seat anyway. The dogs come to you.
The short answer
- When: Saturday, October 17, 2026. Step-off at 11am.
- Where: Avenue B, heading south from East 13th Street to East 7th Street, ending at Tompkins Square Park.
- Where to stand: anywhere along Avenue B on the route. The organizers said to find a spot by 10 to 10:30am.
- Cost: free to watch. No registration for spectators.
- Marching: full for 2026. The costume contest was for registered marchers only.
The Festival Block
The parade wasn’t the only thing on. The organizers ran a Festival Block on East 6th Street between Avenues B and C, open from 10am to 4pm. It was open to the public and needed no registration.
How the day went
- From as early as 9am, registered marchers checked in.
- 10 to 10:30am was the window to claim a spot on Avenue B.
- 11am, the parade stepped off at East 13th Street and worked its way down to the park.
The organizers didn’t publish an end time. It made a late morning on Avenue B, then the Festival Block after.
What the costumes can and can’t be
These were the 2026 marchers’ rules, and they explain what people saw. Carts, strollers and baby carriages were allowed, and so were small motorized costume parts. Anything the size of a vehicle, like a golf cart, was not. The organizers also ask owners not to force a costume on a dog that’s clearly unhappy in it.
Getting there
The route is on Avenue B in the East Village, between Avenues A and C. The closest subway is the L at First Avenue. Check the MTA’s weekend service notices before you go, since weekend work changes lines without much warning.
If you have kids
This is the easy Halloween parade. It’s in the morning, in daylight, and the marchers are knee height. For the big one, read our Village Halloween Parade guide. For more ideas, see NYC with kids.
Check before you go
- Next year’s date, on the organizers’ site, nydogparade.org
- Subway service for the weekend, on mta.info
- The weather
The rest of the season
- Village Halloween Parade 2026, Saturday, October 31
- Things to do in NYC in October 2026
- NYC Marathon 2026 spectator guide, Sunday, November 1
- NYC fall foliage 2026
Questions about anything in this guide? Reach MUSEENYC at museenyc.art@gmail.com or @museenyc on Instagram.
More October in New York → museenyc.com