At 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 17, the first group to move down Tennyson Street at Fall Fest won't be a band. It will be more than 200 costumed pets and the people holding their leashes. The parade runs from 10 to 11 a.m., with a Wax Trax DJ playing in the background, and the first live set, by Swift Current, doesn't start until 11:15.
Between mid-October and early November, the busiest dates on Berkeley's calendar keep coming back to animals. There's a costume parade that raises money to keep pets fed and at home, then a community altar at Tennyson and 41st for pets that have died. The Halloween morning trick-or-treat falls in between. A few local businesses run these events, and they overlap on the same few blocks.
The festival's first hour goes to the pets
The Tennyson Fall Fest runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on October 17, on Tennyson between West 41st and West 43rd Avenues. The Tennyson Berkeley Business Association hosts it, along with the monthly First Friday walks. The group formed in 2014 to support the street's small businesses.
This is the 9th annual Tennyson Street Pet Parade and Costume Contest, and it runs from 10 to 11 a.m. Denver Nook presents it, and pets have to be registered to be eligible for the costume contest. Sploot is providing prizes for first, second and third place. The organizers haven't published costume categories or prize values, so the only thing to plan around is the costume.
Signing up costs nothing. The Denver Nook registration page asks for your name, your pet's name, an email and an optional mailing address. It also asks for one line about your favorite thing about your pet. On that page, Denver Nook calls the event "the best, longest-running parade in Denver."
After the parade, the festival fills the rest of the day:
- Music: a Wax Trax DJ pop-up all day, Swift Current from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., The Midnight Soulbirds from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., and AFB from 4 to 6 p.m.
- Vendors: Explore Tennyson promotes "100+ vendors" but hasn't published a final count.
- Kids: a bounce house open all day.
Where the parade money actually goes
The parade is free, but it raises money. The Fall Fest pet parade page says all of it goes to Colorado Pet Pantry. Colorado Pet Pantry provides temporary food for pets so families going through hardship can keep them at home and out of shelters.
Last year the parade raised more than $13,000. This year Denver Nook's goal is $15,000, which would be about $2,000 more than last year's total. There are two ways to give. You can donate to Colorado Pet Pantry directly through the parade page, or you can enter the photo contest to pick next year's parade mascot. The mascot contest means next October's parade is already raising money at this year's.
Because the parade is free and the fundraising is separate, anyone with a pet and a costume can join. Money for the pantry comes from people who choose to give.
The same corner, two weeks later
Two days before Fall Fest, a different kind of pet event opens one block south. Denver Nook and Mexicultural are building an ofrenda, a traditional Día de Muertos altar, for Dia de las Almas de las Mascotas at the park at Tennyson and 41st. It's meant to honor pets who have died. It will be up from Thursday, October 15, through Wednesday, November 4. Neighbors are invited to bring a photo, drawing, note or keepsake to add to it.
The community gathering is Tuesday, October 27, from 5 to 7 p.m., with mariachis. The announcement on Explore Tennyson, the Tennyson business association's site, promises "lots of remembering and lots of hugs." If you'd like something more permanent than a photo, Jolly Goods at 4020 Tennyson St. is taking orders for custom pet memorial ornaments made for the ofrenda. Jolly Goods is a gift shop that carries work by local artists and designers.
Denver Nook ties the two events together. The same organization runs the parade on the 17th and co-hosts the altar that's up through the 4th. Both use the same few blocks between 41st and 43rd, and the ofrenda stays up past Halloween. If your dog marches in costume on Saturday morning, the altar will be up at 41st when you walk back.
The rest of the month, on one calendar
| Date | What | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 15 to Wed, Nov 4 | Dia de las Almas de las Mascotas ofrenda on display | Park at Tennyson and 41st | Ongoing |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Tennyson Street Pet Parade and Costume Contest | Tennyson Street | 10 to 11 a.m. |
| Sat, Oct 17 | Tennyson Fall Fest | Tennyson, W 41st to W 43rd | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| Tue, Oct 27 | Ofrenda community gathering with mariachis | Park at Tennyson and 41st | 5 to 7 p.m. |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Neighborhood trick-or-treat | Listed by Explore Tennyson | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
Trick-or-treat on the 31st is a morning event, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. That leaves the evening free for your own block. The ofrenda at 41st is still up that day, too.
The walks that fill the gaps
Most of these dates involve standing around: lining up for the parade, waiting through a set, browsing vendor tents. Dogs who spend Saturday morning in a costume may need a real run afterward. Berkeley has three spots for that within a short drive or a long walk.
Berkeley Dog Park is the off-leash area at West 46th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard. Denver's dog park rules apply here. Dogs stay leashed until they're inside the gate and go back on the leash before leaving. They need to stay under control and in sight, and owners pick up after them. Handlers must be 16 or older, and one person can bring no more than two dogs. Unlighted dog parks are open from sunrise to sundown. Check the condition sign at the entrance before going in, because a red sign means the area is closed until further notice. Shorter fall days also mean earlier closing.
The Berkeley Lake Loop and the Rocky Mountain Lake Loop are each about one mile, according to Denver Parks. Either loop is a short walk after an hour of parading on pavement.
Parade-day logistics
According to the festival's getting-here page, Fall Fest has no designated parking lots. Organizers suggest getting dropped off, taking RTD, walking or biking. That page links to a map from a different festival, so plan your route from what you already know about the neighborhood. With 200+ pets expected at 10 a.m., the easiest way to arrive is on foot with your pet.
Two nearby businesses are useful for festival weekend and the weeks after:
- Mouthfuls at 4224 Tennyson St., inside the festival's 41st-to-43rd stretch, is a nutrition shop for dogs and cats.
- Sploot Veterinary Care's Highlands clinic at 3774 Julian St. is two blocks off Tennyson. It offers primary and urgent care with same-day appointments and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. That's handy if a long festival day ends with a sore paw or a dog who ate something off the sidewalk.
For three weeks this fall, Berkeley's main street keeps setting time aside for pets. They lead off its biggest Saturday, they get a memorial that stays up into November, and the parade money goes to keeping other families' pets fed and at home. Registering for the parade costs nothing, and the altar is open to anyone who brings a photo.
Your dog's daily routine is part of choosing a block, whether it's walks around Berkeley Lake, trips to the off-leash area at 46th and Sheridan, or a vet two blocks off Tennyson. At Moxie Property Group, we pay attention to what everyday life looks like on each block, pets included. When you're ready to find a place where your routine already fits, Start Your Colorado Search with us.
