Tour de Corgi: What to know ahead of Fort Collins' beloved corgi parade

Erin Udell, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·2 min read

Ready for Fort Collins to become Fort Corgi?

In its eighth year, Tour de Corgi is back in the Choice City this weekend, drawing hundreds of costumed corgis downtown for its annual pup-centric festival and corgi parade.

Here's what to know ahead of this year's festivities.

The basics

Tour de Corgi will take place Saturday in Civic Center Park, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The event's costume contest starts at 10 a.m. and its parade begins at noon. The event will wrap up around 2:30 p.m., according to its website.

For the corgi owners

If you're planning to bring your corgi and participate in either the costume contest or corgi parade, registration is required. While online registration has ended, a limited number of Tour de Corgi wristbands can be purchased at Civic Center Park starting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Proceeds will benefit 4 Paws Pet Pantry, Colorado Corgis and Friends Rescue, the Wyoming Dachshund and Corgi Rescue and Bandit's K9Care, formerly known as Bandit's BandAid.

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For the lucky onlookers

Don't have a corgi? Well, then just sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Registration is not required to watch the costume contest or parade. If you're planning on enjoying the parade, stake out a spot along its route, which travels east on Laporte Avenue, south on College Avenue, around Old Town Square and back to Civic Center Park via Mountain Avenue.

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A new addition

In memory of the late Queen Elizabeth, who was a devoted corgi owner, Tour de Corgi has added a Queen Elizabeth category to its corgi costume contest. The new category will mark the finale of the contest, which also includes categories like "completely creative," "purdiest," "baddest to the bone" and "greatest group." Costume contest judges are Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt, local "Dude Dad" content creator Taylor Calmus and Megan Wolfe, resident neurologist at Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Following the costume contest, the Queen Elizabeth costume groups will move to the front of the parade in memoriam of the late queen.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Tour de Corgi: Your guide to Fort Collins' famous corgi parade