Kensington is inviting the furriest Calgarians to sink their fangs into a Halloween event made just for them.
More than 20 businesses in the community are providing treats and activities for pets and their owners as part of the third annual Halloween Pup Crawl.
“The pup crawl was so popular that when these businesses were doing it they were having to rush out and resupply,” said Kensington BIA Executive Director Annie MacInnis.
MacInnis said that humans, and their pups, would get a chance to have some human and dog friendly treats from businesses. The event runs from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30.
“There’s also a pet photo booth and gift baskets—you can win prizes with your dog for first, second, and third best costumes,” she said.
“I think it should be a ton of fun.”
The BIA has created a map of participating businesses along Kensington Road NW, and 10 Street NW.
Pet friendly business district
MacInnis said that from the start of the pandemic, businesses in the district began to see more interest from pet owners bringing their pets while shopping.
“One of the things we saw during the pandemic when we were doing a lot of outdoor activities… people were coming with their children, with their dogs, and combining a walk in the fresh air, with play, and something fun in Kensington,” she said.
The pup crawl began after a pair of local businesses wanted to do something Halloween based for dog owners.
She said that, like the Accessible Treat Village that was held in Kensington last weekend, the community is known for doing fun and whimsical things.
“I think that we enjoy doing different things, and attracting encourage everyone,” MacInnis said.
“We have a significant local population, and I think people really look forward to what’s happening in Kensington next.”
Among the events that the BIA has held in the past year have been outdoor drag shows, musical performances, balloon art installations, interactive art pieces like the Big K. Kensington has also been the home for bigger themed events, like the Harry Potter festival that ran from 2016 to 2018.
As for pet owners who can’t make it this weekend to the Halloween Pup Crawl, MacInnis said that they would be holding more events to be announced soon.
“We’re going to look at some other events like this that work well for people and, and, and are something that’s just kind of fun and whimsical.”
