Beale Street has been host to many a parade — from Pride to St. Patrick’s Day — but this Saturday, it’ll be host to a parade like no other. Picture it: dogs in costume strutting their stuff down the iconic street in a fashion show.
Liz Wright, owner of The Friends of Dog online store and the event organizer, is calling it Wagging in Memphis (like “walking in Memphis” — get it?). “It’s a fun day for pet owners and dog lovers to come out experience dogs dressed up in clothing,” she says. “The reason behind the clothing is because it’s an opportunity to bond with your pet.”
And, hey, what’s cuter than a dog in a dress or a themed bandana? Heck, Wright even says pawrents can coordinate with their pets. “We definitely love when we see pet owners dress up like their dogs.”
The parade will be only a five-minute walk from Robert R. Church Park to Handy Park. “We’re considering the fact that it is hot outside,” Wright says. “Once they get to Handy Park, there’s tons of areas with grass for [dogs] to play in. We have a dog cooling zone.”
Any highly socialized, leashed dog is welcome to participate, dressed or naked. Wright’s pups Thor and Saint, for their part, will be dressed to impress in matching T-shirts with Wright. She calls them the mascots of her e-commerce store that she started during the Covid lockdown while living in L.A. “I love fashion, but not really having anywhere to go, I thought it’d be fun to be able to stay close to fashion but dress up my dog instead.”
She’s now based in Nashville, but she’s a born and raised Memphian, happy to return home to host this event, where her store will be just one of the vendors at the parade’s after-party. “There’ll be a lot of dog-related vendors at the after-party, which is a good time — a DJ, live music, a lot of free giveaways,” she says. “There’ll actually be a fashion a dog fashion contest with a lot of silly giveaways, and then we’ll have some areas for the dogs to play with and chase bacon-flavored bubbles. Just have an all out good day.”
The day will also be raising money for rescue group Streetdog Foundation.
To register your dog to walk in the parade, go to tinyurl.com/msf5huzu.
Wagging in Memphis Dog Fashion Parade + After-Party, Beale Street, Saturday, July 26, 4-7 p.m., free.