New York City's iconic Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is returning on Sunday, Oct. 19!

The annual event, now in its 35th year, sees a heated yet adorable costume competition between New York City's most Halloween-obsessed dogs, along with other spooky fun, canine-friendly activities.

The 35th Annual Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade will be no different, but there are some changes to the famous event this year. For 2025, the parade will be hosted and led by the New York Dog Parade , a new nonprofit founded by author and canine columnist Fern Watt to ensure the beloved N.Y.C. parade continued and was joined by more canine-centered events.

Watt, in the final days of prep for the parade on Sunday, tells PEOPLE what it takes to make this event a tail-wagging success and why th

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