The 15th Annual Haute Dogs Howl’oween Parade returned to Long Beach this past Saturday afternoon. Now located at Marina Vista Park at the end of Marine Stadium, this special Halloween precursor event invited pet-owners to doll up their dog(s) and bring them to stroll in the parade of dogs. Over 500 dogs got registered to participate in this poochy parade, along with all of the humans that also wanted to dress up for the parade.Completely free to attend for all ages, this festival at the park featured a handful of pet-related vendors and miscellaneous activities, such as a dachshund race. The actual parade would not begin until 2:30pm.

Following up from last year’s parade, this paw march returned to Marina Vista Park, a step away from taking place on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore, causing street closures for the duration of the parade. It appears that with every year, this parade draws more and more people to come watch. This year, I clearly witnessed more spectators crowding the sidelines, and this year’s parade ended within 45 minutes, whereas previous years’ parades would last over an hour. Has the novelty worn off, or have people decided not to pay the price of showing off their creativity? Either way, this move did not daunt the parade, which still contained hundreds of dogs for everyone’s viewing pleasure.

As featured on the Kevin & Bean Show a few years ago, the Haute Dogs Howl’oween Parade brings a unique spin on the classic Fall Parade that many towns across the country host. Around this time every year, local towns host some sort of Fall festival, either to celebrate the changing seasons or to celebrate some other purpose. Some of these festivals even come with a parade. While Long Beach may not have a festival like that, other independent events like this one contribute to the diversity of the city. Mark your calendars next year for the Haute Dogs Howl’oween Parade, which normally occurs on the last weekend or second to last weekend of October.