When the leaves transition from green to auburn in Jamaica Plain, that can only mean one thing: The JP Canine Costume Parade is on the horizon.
Every fall, the JP Canine Costume Parade livens Centre Street, Jamaica Plain’s version of ‘Main Street.’ Dogs and their humans compete for the first prize and bragging rights as they strut around town in support of the City of Boston Animal Shelter. This year’s event will be on Saturday, Oct. 26, with a rain date of Oct. 27.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the parade. What began as a small group of dog lovers and friends has transformed into the large event known and loved today by Jamaica Plain locals and out-of-town visitors.
“We are so excited to see it get as big as it has,” said Ginger Brown, executive director of JP Centre/South Main Streets. “It really started out as like a group of dogs on a red carpet on this little tiny side pocket park on South Street, and now, I think last year we had over one thousand people on Centre Street watching the parade.”
Now, with hundreds of entries every year, one of the main attractions of the parade is the costumes. Look for dogs and their humans in coordinating costumes, with the pups dressing as anything from a superhero to a hotdog.
Some favorites have included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a firefighter, Wonder Woman, a sailor and a ladybug. One dog even came dressed as their owner.
“I think that it’s particularly special to Jamaica Plain because we have so many dog-lovers in the area,” said Brown, “and you can’t go anywhere without seeing someone out with their dog, so I think it’s really beloved in our community for that reason.”
More importantly, the parade fosters a sense of community throughout JP. Local businesses participate and engage with the crowds, and typically, other events and award ceremonies take place throughout the day in addition to the parade.
Registration of dogs begins at 12 p.m. outside the First Baptist Church at 633 Centre St. The parade starts at 1 p.m. and goes from the church down Centre Street to the Loring Greenough House at 12 South Street. Once all dogs have arrived there, the red carpet event will take place.
JP Centre/South Main Streets is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that now hosts the JP Canine Costume Parade in partnership with the JP Business and Professional Association, which originated the event 20 years ago.
Another notable aspect of the JP Canine Costume Parade is its partnership with the City of Boston Animal Shelter.
Brown explained, “It costs $10 to register for the parade, and 100% of that money goes to the City of Boston Animal Shelter. We don’t just give them cash, because they would be forced to contribute it to the city’s general fund … instead we use that money to buy gift cards from local pet businesses.”
