- Sunday, October 23, 2022 from 1-5pm
- Cost: Free to attend, fee for parade participants
The UT Gardens, Knoxville is pleased to present our ninth annual Howl-O-Ween Pooch Parade & Pet Expo, a fun Halloween-themed event sponsored by the UT Gardens, Knoxville and the UT College of Veterinary Medicine. Catering to dogs and dog lovers, this event will promote the invaluable resource of the UT Gardens and the College of Veterinary Medicine as well as many other dog-related nonprofits and businesses in the Knoxville area.
This fun event with a spooky twist will include a judged costume parade, an expo of educational booths, pet businesses and rescue groups, food trucks and more. We will be hosting a pet food drive to benefit Companion Animal Initiative of Tennessee (CAIT), which works to improve the lives of companion animals and reduce the homeless pet population in Tennessee by promoting humane education and spay/neuter initiatives. Please consider donating to support them in their mission.
This event will be held rain or shine. We are excited to be able to hold this in-person and are looking forward to admiring your pet costuming creativity!
Costume Parade
The parade will begin at 2:30 pm. You can pre-register to participate through Thursday, October 20, or you can register on-site the day of the event beginning at 1 pm until 2:15 pm. If you pre-register, the parade fee will be $10 per costume entry. If you register on-site, the fee will be $15 per costume entry. (A costume entry may include multiple dogs, so long as they are intended to be judged together in the same category.)
Judged by locally known dog lovers, ribbons and prizes (and bragging rights!) will be awarded to the top 3 entries in each of the four categories. Several Judges’ Choice ribbons may be awarded as well across all the categories, and one lucky entry will earn our Bone-A-Fido Best in Show award!
Parade Categories:
Bad to the Bone (scariest costume)
Funny Bone (funniest costume)
Do(g) It Yourself (homemade costume)
Pup Culture (pop culture/character)
Event T-Shirts Available for Pre-Order
Pre-order your event t-shirt and it will be ready for pickup at the event!
Shirts will be available in the following sizes:
– Youth Medium ($15)
– Adult Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large ($15)
– Adult 2XL, 3XL, and 4XL ($20)
T-shirts will also be available for sale during the event, but some sizes sell out fast so pre-ordering is a great way to ensure you get the size you want!
Interested in Sponsorship?
Event sponsorship is a great way to connect your pet-related business with local pet owners!
Be an Expo Vendor!
If you have a pet-related nonprofit or business, we hope you’ll consider being a Pet Expo Vendor.