The 19th annual Burlingame Pet Parade celebrated pets and their owners with “unfurgettable” activities.
Pets of all kinds marched down Broadway and Chula Vista Avenue, dressed in costumes ranging from fairy princesses to pickle farmers. Participants, families, and community members were encouraged to dress up alongside their companions and compete in various competitions.
Sponsored by over a dozen organizations, including the Broadway Merchants Association, the parade aims to bring positivity to the community.
“It’s just nice to forget about the world’s problems and come and hang out with your community,” said Ayn Gilmore, the event’s organizer for 10 years.
According to Gilmore, a variety of unique pets attend each year, including dogs, cats, birds, bunnies, lizards, and snakes.
This year in particular, the parade has gained the attention of local pet celebrities.
Alex the Great, a Flemish Giant hare weighing over 30 pounds, attended the event in a giant RC car alongside his owner, Josh Row. As the official “rally rabbit” of the San Francisco Giants and an esteemed employee of the San Francisco Airport, Alex was deemed the parade’s guest of honor.
“It’s nice to see him help so many people in the community,” Row said.
Alongside Alex, international corgi racing brothers Captain and Tony were the official Grand Marshals of the parade. As racers, Captain came in second at the Corgi World Championships, and Tony is the back-to-back 49ers K9ers Corgi Cup Race Champion.
“Events like this bring everybody together, which a lot of us need right now,” said pet owner April Villacampa.
Parade organizers also invited local schools, organizations, and businesses to participate in the festivities.
One of these schools was McKinley Elementary, whose students participate in the parade every year and create a float to promote their annual harvest festival. Burlingame Intermediate School (BIS) and Burlingame High School (BHS) also attended.
“We are a small community, so it’s important to engage our students as much as possible,” said BIS Principal Greg Lamb.
While speakers played themed music, the Burlingame and Los Trancos Woods marching bands also provided music for the parade.
Local organizations and businesses participated in the parade by marching in the parade or at booths on the sidewalk.
Plucky’s Cafe, a restaurant on Broadway, sold food to hungry passerby on the sidewalk.
Other sponsors could be seen during the parade giving out stickers, dog treats, and pamphlets. The Broadway Merchants Association in particular was central to starting and maintaining the event.
Secretary for the Broadway Merchants Association and co-founder of the pet parade, Ross Bruce, was responsible for starting the event in 2004 alongside Former Mayor Terry Nagel and associate Rudy Horak.
“We came up with the idea of a pet parade that would involve the children and the pets and give a chance for the community to get together,” Bruce said.
While Bruce played an important role, event emcee Jeff Tateosian stole the show as he guided the various competitions. The judges vary from year to year and are typically chosen from the event sponsors and honored guests.
Awards were given to the best-dressed pet, most unusual pet, best pet trick, most original float, group or wagon (non-school category), and a grand prize winner. Prizes included a photography session of owners and their pets, a dental cleaning, and a complimentary membership to Dr. Treat’s Veterinary Clinic, with the grand prize winner receiving all three prizes.
The parade proved a tail-wagging success as the fur-covered participants returned home and started preparing for next year’s competition.
