Dog owners are digging out the tiny costumes again. The Pets and Pumpkins festival is set to return to Park Central Square in downtown Springfield on Saturday, October 24, running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with vendors, games and the event's signature pets-in-costume parade filling the square for an afternoon.
According to KY3, the annual festival features vendors, games, and a pets-in-costume parade, continuing a tradition that has become a fixture of downtown Springfield's fall calendar. The event's own site, Pets and Pumpkins, confirms the Saturday timing and location on Park Central Square and notes that the walking parade and costume contest are hosted by TAME Magazine, with both pets and their people invited to enter.
Costume Parade Lineup and Admission Details
The costume parade lineup begins at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Park Central East, next to Civil Kitchen, per the event's website. Admission is $2 per attendee, covering children, pets and adults alike, and that single gate fee includes every activity at the festival, including the parade and contest, at no extra cost.
Organizers describe Pets and Pumpkins as a rain-or-shine event, meaning the Saturday schedule is expected to hold regardless of weather. The festival website calls its costume parade one of Missouri's largest.
Where the Gate Money Goes
Almost 100% of the gate fee is donated to local nonprofit organizations that serve children and animals, according to the festival's own site. That giving model has carried through past editions of the event: at the 2024 festival, most of the money raised was similarly donated to local nonprofit groups supporting kids and pets, ky3.com reported at the time.
The 2024 Pets and Pumpkins Family Festival also returned to downtown Springfield on a Saturday and drew hundreds of attendees, with pets and people again invited to enter the walking parade and contest.
What to Expect on Park Central Square
Beyond the parade, the festival's footprint on Park Central Square includes vendor booths and games spread across the five-hour window, giving families and their pets plenty to do before the costume lineup forms late in the afternoon. With the $2 admission covering all activities, the event is positioned as a low-cost outing for Springfield families looking to spend a fall Saturday downtown.
