Howl O Ween: How 100 Costumed Pets Took Over Downtown Flagstaff

Flagstaff's first pet parade started the way the best ideas usually do: with someone saying "what if we just... did it?"

The someone was Weird & Wild West, alongside Freaky Foot Tours, High Country Humane and Dark Sky Brewing. The "it" was Howl O Ween: a Halloween pet parade through downtown Flagstaff. Costumes required. Vibes mandatory. Dignity optional.

What Actually Happened

Over 100 costumed pets showed up. Dogs in hot dog suits. Cats in capes (carried, obviously). A few animals in costumes so elaborate their owners clearly started planning in August.

The parade wound through downtown Flagstaff, past the same Route 66 storefronts and historic buildings that Freaky Foot Tours walks past on their ghost tours. Except instead of ghost stories, there were pugs in tutus.

The numbers:

• 100+ costumed pets in the parade
• High Country Humane (formerly North Country Humane), Flagstaff's local animal shelter, as the cause the whole day marched for
• Adoptable dogs on the square, looking for the kind of day that ends in a new family
• 1 corgi who took the top prize (Shimmer, the W&WW mascot, came in second to a corgi dressed as a hot dog, and we're still processing it)

Why a Merch Brand Helped Throw a Pet Parade

Weird & Wild West is not just a merch brand. That's the whole point.

The banner values that rotate at the top of every page on the website say it plainly: "Free Shipping On All Orders" sits right next to "Support Human Dignity" and "Stay Weird." Shipping policy and moral compass get equal billing because they're equally important.

Howl O Ween was the first real test of that philosophy. Could a small brand based in a Masonic Temple basement actually organize a community event that brought people together, raised real money for a real cause, and put pets in costumes?

The answer was yes. Emphatically, adorably yes.

High Country Humane

Howl O Ween benefits High Country Humane, Flagstaff's local animal shelter. They provide shelter, medical care, and adoption services for animals in the Flagstaff area. Learn more about High Country Humane at highcountryhumane.org.

The turnout was proof that community events don't need to be massive to matter. Sometimes 100 people, their dressed-up pets, and a Saturday afternoon in downtown Flagstaff is exactly enough.

The Howl O Ween Collection

The event inspired its own W&WW collection: Howl O Ween merch featuring Halloween-meets-desert designs. A portion of every sale goes to High Country Humane.

It's seasonal but the values are year-round. The same brand that makes Desert Disco tees also organizes pet parades. That's the ecosystem.

Howl-O-Ween 2026

The parade is Saturday, October 24, 2026. Shirt orders need to land by Thursday, October 8.

Register for Howl-O-Ween · Event page · Day plan at Freaky Foot Tours · Shop the merch.

And if you have a pet with a strong costume game: start planning now. Shimmer is coming for that trophy.