Halloween Fundraising: Costume Pet Parade and Pageant Fundraiser

So you’re looking for a Halloween themed fundraiser, and what’s more fun than dressing up your pets for a Halloween Costume Pet Parade and Pageant Fundraiser.  I’m sure they don’t find it quite as amusing as we humans do.  But then, they are lots of pets that like to wear clothes, so maybe they do like it.

It’s not hard to plan.  And it’s a great add-on event to Pumpkin Festivals, Halloween Parties, and other Halloween themed fundraising events if you’ve already got some planned.

Pet Parade and Pageant Fundraiser

Of course, you’ll need a pet-friendly venue.  A local dog park, nice field or even a parking lot, would work for this event.  Of course, if the weather is on the colder side, you might want to look for a pet-friendly indoor venue.  A small stage would be ideal, but you can get by without it.

Think about what all categories you’ll want to judge in, such as Silliest, Scariest, etc.  Besides judging costumes, you could also have a talent contest, to let the pets show off their favorite tricks.

Solicit prize donations from local business “sponsors”.

Advertise your event, and don’t forget to post about it on all of your social media accounts.  And have a registration form to fill out for participants.  It’ll help give you an idea of how many contestants you’ll have.  You can charge a small entry fee, or instead of charging contestants you can charge a small cover fee for guests to come watch the pageant.

Then start making your pets costumes, and yours of course.  If your group has rescue animals available for adoption, dress them up and have your volunteers handle them in the pageant.  It’s a great way to show off your adoptable animals, and their special tricks.

Find a few prominent local officials willing to serve as judges.

You could also have a refreshment stand or lots of other add-on fundraisers.

Have fun with it.  And be sure to stop back and let us know how your Pet Parade and Pageant Fundraiser went!

Image credit: My Edmonds News