Dogs of Sacramento celebrate Halloween with midtown festival and Pooch Parade
With Halloween right around the corner, more than 100 of Sacramento’s finest canines dressed in their spookiest and cutest costumes for the Midtown Halloween Festival and Pooch Parade at James Marshall Park on Saturday afternoon.
The festival, which is organized by the Midtown Association, had residents from all across Sacramento gathered to show off their dogs’ costumes, with some humans matching their puppies’ flare. The day was filled with laughter, excited puppies and colorful outfits worn by mutts big and small. Each year, the event is organized by Midtown Sutter restaurants with the Midtown Association.
Stephanie Murillo and Jay Jung, who were dressed as Gandalf and Sauron from “Lord of the Rings,” said they’ve been trying to put together a themed costume with their dogs for a while.
Seeing the Midtown Halloween Festival as the best opportunity, the two dressed their corgi Summer and golden retriever Cosmo as hobbits. With Summer dressed as Frodo and Cosmo as Samwise, Murillo said the dogs’ costumes were perfectly executed by Jung.
And while it was a long journey to craft the costumes, it was worth it, Murillo said.
“They love socializing, and we just like to put a smile on peoples’ faces,” Murillo said. “I love seeing dogs dressed up, so why not give back to the community by also dressing up our dogs?”
Elizabeth Clamaro brought her dog, Oliver, a doodle. Dressed as a parrot, the Pooch Parade is not the first competition for the fashionable dog, she said. Having won third place at a dog costume contest in Pacifica, Oliver dressed as a “beach bum,” she explained. For Sacramento’s contest, Clamaro and Oliver, who have been together since Oliver was a puppy, were eager to compete.
“He’s been in another costume parade, which we did pretty good in. Third place,” Clamaro said. “Then we thought, okay, let’s get ready for the next year.”
The event also spotlighted dogs and puppies in need of adoption. Meg Ryan, a volunteer with Junebug Foundation, a nonprofit pet rescue, said the festival is an opportunity to find a forever home for their puppies.
“It’s a chance to get our dogs some attention and get our rescues noticed,” Ryan said. “It’s so these dogs have a chance to get a home in the near future or when they’re ready.”
For those interested in adopting the puppies and dogs from the Junebug Foundation, Ryan said to go on the nonprofit’s website at https://www.junebugfoundation.com to find out more information.
This story was originally published October 25, 2025 at 2:15 PM.
