This Weekend: Pooches & Parades

90^th Annual Anaheim Fall Festival & Halloween Parade

A long standing tradition in Anaheim, the Fall Festival & Halloween Parade will be running for its 90^th year.  While the Anaheim Hallowe’en Festival was started in 1923, the parade wasn’t first held until the following year, on October 30^th, 1924.  The parade was started as a way to discourage young people from mischievous Halloween pranks.  The festival and parade were instantly successful and continued to grow each year.  While it did lose its popularity in the 80’s, the long held tradition has made a comeback, and is once again a community favorite.

The Fall Festival starts at 11 a.m. until 6 p.m., on Saturday, the 25^th.  A family and dog friendly event, there is no shortage of things to see and do at the Fall Festival.  There will be craft booths, games, food, and vendors.  You can enter your kid in the Children’s Costume Contest or your dog in the Dog Costume Contest.  There will be story time, a pumpkin patch, as well as pot-bellied pigs.   At 6 p.m. the parade begins, and runs down Broadway, from around West St. to Anaheim Blvd.  If you are looking for something a little chilling, there is the Motel 6 Feet Under haunted house that is open from 7 – 11 p.m. on Oct. 24^th, 25^th, 31^st, and Nov. 1^st, and then again from 7 – 10 p.m. on Oct. 26^th & 30^th.

The festival and parade take place in Downtown Anaheim, south of Lincoln Ave. and East of Harbor, at the intersection of Lemon and Center Street Promenade. If you need an address for GPS, use 205 Center Street Promenade. Parking accessible on Oak Street.

  

14^th Annual Haute Dog Howl’oween Parade

The biggest howl’oween event in California will be held Sunday, October 26^th, 2014 in Long Beach.  Last year over 500 costumed dogs and a few hundred kids registered and walked in the world famous parade seen by over 3,000 dogless gawkers.  Each year the event raises thousands of dollars for the non-profit Community Action Team (CAT), which Haute Dog is a part of.  The money raised goes toward spay/neuter programs, adoption and rescue groups, Operation Santa Paws (bringing toys and blankets to shelter animals), and other Long Beach service projects.

The fair will take place from 12:30p.m. – 4:30p.m. with plenty to see and do such as vendors, pet adoption, bobbing for weenies, a treat stacking contest, bulldog kissing booth, huge pumpkin drops, and more.   The parade will begin at 2:30p.m. and last for about an hour.  The costume contests will include Best Dog Costume, Best Person Costume, Best Group, and Best Float (non-motorized, limit 4’ wide).  Gawkers are encouraged to bring a chair.  The event will be held at the Livingston Park located at 4900 E. Livingston Drive at Park Avenue in Belmont Shores, Long Beach.  For more information check out the Haute Dog website.