On Sunday Winter Park held a Pet Costume Contest. The festivities started at 10 AM and I arrived early. This small section of Garfield Avenue was blocked off and tents lined both sides offering pet photo booths caricatures and many pet related items. At 11 Am the large and mid sized dogs started competing for the grand prize. I found a spot in the shade and leaned back against a dumpster. As I worked flies kept buzzing around and landing on my bare legs and arms. They became quite distracting at times. When the judging started, the dogs that were to go on the stage all lined up in front of me. I think the flies became more infatuated with the dogs and I was allowed to work in peace.
The winner of the prize for pet and owner costumes went to the lady who dressed up as the boy from “Where the Wild Things Are” and she dressed her dog up as a wild thing. You can see them in the center of the sketch she is in the bright yellow crown. Other dogs were dressed up as bumble bees, pirates, butterflies, Frogs, the imaginative list is endless.
Two large dogs dressed as aliens, kept wiggling out of their costumes. They had duck tape holding aluminum around their midsections but the take came loose and soon the dogs had tape on their paws and the aluminum “Suite” was riding half way off their butts. Sketching was a challenge since dogs were hyper to say the least. They were barking lunging and sniffing each others privates. I don’t think the dogs particularly cared about the competition, they were just glad to be around so many other dogs. The folks of Winter Park sure love their pets.