Main Street in Santa Monica shut down to vehicle traffic Sunday for the Main Street Block Party and Day of the Dog, a free, all-ages festival that packed the street with costumed canines, a dog race, live music and a Route 66 centennial celebration. Organizers promoted the event as bringing thousands of dogs and their humans together for a full day of fun on the street.
The festival combined two staples of the neighborhood's fall calendar: the broader Main Street Block Party and the dog-focused Day of the Dog, run by Pet-A-Palooza. According to smdp.com, Main Street was set to close to cars from noon to 6 p.m., though the outlet also reported that the Day of the Dog portion itself ran from noon to 5 p.m. between Pacific Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. A separate listing on eventeny.com likewise described the block party running through 6 p.m., underscoring some overlap in how the day's hours were publicized. The event was presented by the Main Street Business Improvement Association, per that same listing.
Street closure boundaries were also described differently across sources. The same smdp.com report said Main Street would be closed from Pier Avenue to Pacific Street from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., while petapaloozawest.com said the street would be closed and turned into a pedestrian walkway from Strand to Ocean Park. Petapaloozawest.com placed the Day of the Dog festival specifically at 2327 Main Street, running from noon to 5 p.m.
Costumes, Races and a Haunted House for Pups
The dog-centric programming leaned heavily into the Halloween season. Per the same smdp.com report, DogTrekker's events calendar listed a canine costume contest, a haunted house for pups, breed-specific races and pet exhibitors as part of the lineup. The New York Post described the Main Street Block Party and Day of the Dog as a pet festival held on Santa Monica's Main Street.
The Day of the Dog also featured a dog race. Beyond the pet programming, smdp.com listed a VCA and Venice Paparazzi pet photo booth, Halloween and fall crafts, live music on the Main Street Stage, kids' activities, a Route 66 centennial cake at 3 p.m. and a classic car meet running from 2 to 6 p.m.
A Festival Built Around the Shelter
This year's event was planned to benefit the Santa Monica Animal Shelter Foundation. The listing on santamonica.com confirmed the festival was free and open to all ages.
