Bulletin E-Edition:
paws on parade
Celebrating pets in costume for generations
By Alandra Johnson / The Bulletin
Published: July 03. 2009 4:00AM PST
more photos
The Pet Parade has a long history in Bend,
dating back more than 75 years. These girls
participated in a parade in the 1930s.
Courtesy Deschutes County Historical Society
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As as local traditions go, it’s hard to beat Bend’s annual Pet Parade.
Every year, the event attracts thousands of kids, accompanied by fuzzy, scaly, feathered or stuffed friends who tromp together with pride through downtown streets. The event is free, open to everyone and helps kick off the Fourth of July celebrations with an old-fashioned flair. The parade hasn’t changed much since it began generations ago.
So, just how far back does the parade go? The Bulletin’s first record of it is in 1932, although there is some indication that the parade started in 1931 or earlier, making the parade 77 or 78 years old. In recent times, the parade takes place on July 4, but it has bounced around a bit, sometimes falling near the holiday and sometimes moved to later in the summer.
Reading accounts of the early parade offers a great view into life in Central Oregon at that time.
Some highlights:
• Animals that participated in the 1932 parade included a baby antelope “made fat and sleek by its diet of shamrocks and milk” and a trained white pig. In all, 143 entries were registered for the parade.
• In the early days of the parade, judges found dozens of reasons to hand out prizes in all sorts of categories, some of them pretty funny. In 1939, the best decorated bicycle earned a wristwatch, while the owner of the most dilapidated bike got a “kick-up stand.”
In the dog division: “a wristwatch will be given for the most handsome animal; a camera for the largest; a football for the mongrel; a fishpole and reel for the meanest looking; a pair of skates for the best dressed; and a flashlight for the most unusual.”
Prizes were also handed out for rabbits, mice, fowl, livestock and cats (the cat with the largest number of kittens earned a camera). One notice in 1933 says “Only rattlesnakes and cross dogs will be barred.”
• Cats and dogs paraded together for many years, but felines are no longer permitted, to avoid them overheating and to avoid any fights. Even from the early years, organizers tried to keep the cats and dogs separate, but it didn’t always work. “Once or twice during the parade, cats escaped from their cages and caused considerable excitement,” reported The Bulletin in 1933. In 1934, a growling badger worried many dogs and a balky lamb slowed the parade.
• In 1935, the Pet Parade was not just about pets. The reports called it a “pet, twin and redhead parade,” with prizes given in each of those categories. In 1936, it became a “pet, twin and cowboy” parade.
• In 1936, the parade includes five princesses, ages 4-6. They were picked beforehand based on a snapshot that showed “the most originality of pose,” and on the day of the parade, they rode on a float while donning silver crowns and blue capes with flame-colored trim.
• Prizes were also handed out for kid costumes. In 1936, the top prize went to the Grubb family children for the second year running; they paraded “a miniature covered wagon drawn by ‘oxen,’ a pair of well trained calves.” The kids dressed as frontiersmen and women. Other costume winners from the past include a goose who laid the golden egg and Little Red Riding Hood with her dog dressed as grandma.
• Talent acts were also encouraged. A notice on June 24, 1941, calls for kids to register if they have “a good clown act or brother and sister act.” Prizes were handed out for the “best twins” as well.
• Politics entered the Pet Parade from time to time. A boy won a prize for his “aid to Britain” entry in 1941, while two youngsters held signs “Taft Machine” and “Taft Bandwagon” in 1952. In 1942, the Pet Parade was one of the few Fourth of July celebrations to take place, as others were canceled because of the war. Reports said at least half of the entries advertised defense bonds and stamps. The parade did not take place in 1943.
• After the parade in 1960, the paper offered up a criticism of Pet Parade spectators under the headline, “Why not loosen up a bit?” The article said, “People who line Bend streets to watch parades are attentive, but unusually silent.” It went on to encourage some hand-clapping on the sidelines to please the marchers.
Prizes are no longer awarded, but everyone gets a Pet Parade button. People still get creative with their costumes for the parade.
Kim Johnson, the volunteer coordinator for Bend Park & Recreation District, says one of the standout costumes from last year was a horse painted like a zebra. At first glance, it was hard to tell the animal was painted.
“I think it’s something that everyone loves,” said Johnson. “It’s a really fun, quirky, community event.”
The park district, which has been organizing the event for many years, provides streamers, ribbons, pinwheels and other decorations for kids’ bikes. Families are not required to register for the event, so Johnson isn’t certain how many participate each year. The district provides free Popsicles for 1,500 kids, so she guesses the figure (if you add in parents) is close to 3,000 participants.
Johnson says the district works to keep some of the roots and history.
“We just want to keep that old-fashioned community feel.”
Alandra Johnson can be reached at 541-617-7860 or at ajohnson@bendbulletin.com.
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