WILTON MANORS, FL – The City of Wilton Manors is sponsoring two Halloween events to be held in Hagen Park, 2020 Wilton Drive (behind City Hall) in Wilton Manors on Sunday, October 30.

From 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., “HOWL-O-Ween,” a Halloween party for your pets and their best friends is being presented by Arbor Pet Hospital. The afternoon will include a pet expo, various pet activities, entertainment, trick or treat bags for people and their pets, food and beverages plus the highlight of the afternoon: a HOWL-o-Ween pet costume contest starting at 2:30 p.m.

Costume contest award categories include: Best Costume Owner & Pet, Best Costume Large Breed Dogs (over 50 pounds), Best Costume Small Breed Dogs (less than 50 pounds) and Best Group Costume (people and their pets). First and second prizes courtesy of Wilton Manors Doggie Daycare and Tiny Treasures.

Admission and parking in Hagen Park is free for this event.

From 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., Hagen Park is transformed into “OUTrageous Fantasy,” this year’s Manors Masquerade theme.

Nationally-renowned Los Angeles DJ Roland Belmares will be the featured deejay for the evening which will include dancing, a lounge tent with food, beverages, raffle and café seating, trick or treat bags with coupons and special offers from merchants and sponsors, plus a costume contest.

Other entertainment is still being negotiated.

Among those judging the costume contest is fashion designer Jay Carroll, the winner of the first season of the television series, “Project Runway.” Costume contest categories include Best Outrageous Fantasy, Best Celebrity Look-a-Like, Best Scary Costume, Best Drag, Best Leather and Best Ensemble (Group) Costume. Prizes will be awarded to the top three costumes in each category by a panel of judges and audience choice.

Admission is free, closed-in VIP parking in Hagen Park is $10.

“It was one of those things that just sort of happened,” said Ellen Wedner of Wedner and Friends, producers of the Hagen Park events. “During the first hour of Stonewall, [Wedner and Friends also produced last June’s Stonewall Street Festival and Parade] I was just shocked how many people brought their dogs and I thought it was so cool.”

Wedner explained that she was talking with the owners of Wilton Manors Doggie Daycare and they told her that in West Hollywood, California, they hold an annual costume contest for dogs which had been going on for about 20 years. About 4,000 people come out with their dogs each year.

“So I figured,” said Wedner, “I think it’s something that will grow and we’ll have lots of fun with it.”