Annual ‘Dachshunds on Parade’ event

On June 20, dachshund enthusiasts from all over the Pacific Northwest will flock to Ellensburg to take part in the 13th Annual Dachshunds on Parade event.

Set your alarms for early

According to the Dachshunds on Parade event website, after registration, participants are provided breakfast with their dogs, sponsored by the Rodeo City Kiwanis club, until 10:30 a.m. when the judging for the costume contest begins.

Jim McKean, event organizer, said there are two classes for the costume contest; owners are able to enter their dogs as singles or in themed groups.

“People actually build little parade floats for their dogs, or they’ll have a group of dogs in some costume theme,” Jim McKean said.

Brian McKean, event organizer, said the costume contest has grown with the event, and gets more outlandish with each year.

“The costume contest has just gotten ridiculous,” Brian McKean said. “[Participants] just keep topping themselves every year.”

According to Jim McKean, the dachshund parade is at 11 a.m and then, at noon, the dachshund races begin. Owners choose whether their dog will race in the miniature or standard class.

Brian McKean said the races are a fan favorite among attendees.

“You’ll get two dogs that’ll take off and then stop mid track…and then all of a sudden one of them will take off. It’s comedy. It’s just something to laugh at, and it’s fun to watch,” Brian McKean said.

Josh Crawford, an Ellensburg resident who has attended several events in the past, said that the races are one of his favorite parts of the event.

“We always had fun with the wiener dog races. We were never ones really to dress our dog up, but the tricks and the races are probably the top two for sure,” Crawford said.

From school project to annual downtown event

According to Brian McKean, the event began as a school project when he was a public relations student at Central.

“[For] one of our courses, we had to work with a non-profit organization and do a PR plan,” Brian McKean said. “We did it in three months, from start to finish. [I] had no idea what kind of response we were gonna get.”

Many of his family members and friends had dachshunds, so Brian McKean knew there were going to be at least five dogs at the event, but the unexpected positive community response convinced them to do the event the following year as well.

“We wound up getting over 60 dogs to show up for the first event, and we got some from all over the state…and it’s grown since then,” Brian McKean said.

Attendance has averaged around 270 dogs with over 1,000 spectators.

“It’s family friendly. It’s a fun event. It’s free. It’s a good time,” Brian McKean said. “If you love dachshunds, then there’s no better place to be. If you hate dachshunds, you may want to stay out of downtown.”