🎃 A Howling Success: Highlights from the 1st Annual East Passyunk Fall Fest Dog Costume Contest!

When we got the call from Elissa at Nice Things Handmade to host an inaugural Dog Costume Contest at Fall Fest this year, we squealed loudly. That's a hard yes Elissa! Hosted by Nice Things Handmade and the East Passyunk Avenue BID, this year’s Fall Fest was awesome. Postcard-worthy weather, elder pups in strollers, and endless crafty vendors aligned the Avenue.

Not to toot our own horn, but we think the Dog Costume Contest was a raging success. We couldn’t have asked for more sunshine and blue skies, better vibes, or a more enthusiastic crowd. 💛 (Minder Nikki kept everyone hype with her MC skills and Minder Julie took gorgeous photos.) A huge thank you to our celebrity judges: Constellation Dog Academy and Companion Pet Hospital.

And of course, sending all of the love to our friends at Street Tails Animal Rescue, who joined us with adorable adoptable pup Charleston Chew and sold gently used dog costumes to benefit their rescue. ❤️ (I'm pretty sure Charleston stole a few hearts on Saturday. He's the whole package folks! He's great with humans and dogs, and didn't seem to flinch at all of the commotion that is Fall Fest.)

Charleston Chew made so many new friends at Fall Fest! He's currently for adoption at Street Tails!

Now, let’s give a round of paws to our costume contest champions:

Best Overall: Vito – “Vito’s Italian Restaurant”

Complete with a chef’s hat and fresh bread, Vito’s Italian Restaurant stole the show — and our hearts. Fun fact: It was also Vito’s birthday! 🇮🇹

Best Dog/Human Duo: Petey & Lizzy – “Up!”

This duo floated straight into our hearts with their “Up” costume. Petey also celebrated a huge milestone that weekend — his 17th birthday! 💕

Funniest: Franklin – “Lambie”

Franklin came dressed as his favorite toy, Lambie, and made everyone smile from ear to ear. His humans hadn’t planned on adopting a dog, but when they saw Franklin up for adoption, he stole their hearts instantly. 🥹

Best Pop Culture Icon (Tie!): We couldn't pick just one!

Gus – “Free Luigi!”This legendary rescue pug is about to celebrate his 16th birthday! 🎂 (So many elder pup birthdays!)

Bella – “Joann Fabric” A fierce and fabulous entry. Bella would never be caught shopping at Hobby Lobby. RIP Joann 🧵✨

Every single dog that participated brought so much joy to the day! (Seriously, judging was hard.) As our first year hosting this event, we couldn’t be more thrilled with the turnout and vibe. It was everything we hoped it would be!

Follow us on Instagram to see all the adorable contest moments. We’re already counting down the days until next year. (Start brainstorming your costumes folks!) Here’s to an even bigger Dog Costume Contest in 2026. 🧡🐾

Best Overall winner Vito dressed as Italian restaurant

One of the TWO Best Pop Culture Icon winners - Gus as Free Luigi

Another pop culture icon, Bella as Joann Fabrics

And honorable mention, Stormy, a dog in foster care