Suit up and get moving. The Esplanade Association will welcome costumed walkers, runners and furry friends at its Fall Fest on Sunday. Last year, the event garnered about 1,000 people, and about the same amount is expected this year.
The event encourages Bostonians to come for a fall morning of community and Halloween spirit starting at 9:45 a.m. with the Paws & Pumpkins Parade where people can enter their four-legged friends into a costume contest. The contest will be judged by a veterinarian from South Bay Veterinary Group and a dog trainer from Pack Adventures, according to Samuel Englert, the Esplanade Association’s senior manager of Programs and Partnerships.
The Esplanade Association also partnered with Polkadog, a Boston organization that sells canine treats and toys, to create prize baskets for participants of the Paws & Pumpkins Parade.
Following the furry fashion show is a 1.5 mile walk at 10:15 a.m. Here the humans will be given a chance to win big with their festive costumes in a multicategory contest.
The event is open to all ages, and participants can run or simply stroll along the Esplanade, depending on which is more their style.
“No matter what there is a place for everyone, so even if you’re not coming to run the 5K or do the 1.5 mile walk, or you don’t have a dog or pet to put in the pet parade, there’s still plenty of activities and things for you to do, even if you stop by for just a little bit,” Englert said.
Englert has planned five other 5K events for the park and this will be the second annual Fall Fest he has helped organize. He said connection was a huge motivation for the event.
“We wanted to create an event that was fall themed for the community. Our goal is that we connect people to the park,” Englert said.
Runners and walkers could also take the opportunity to fundraise for the Esplanade individually or with their friends as a team. Prizes will be given to some of the best supporters, and all the donations will go toward park maintenance and planning community events like this one.
“All of the proceeds go toward us being able to provide free community programming, so anything from fitness classes to children’s programs, tours, concerts. All of these funds go toward our ability to offer those for free to the public,” Englert said.
Every participant in the costume or fundraising contests is entered to win items from the popular brand Lululemon.
The Esplanade Association hopes people come to the Fall Fest Oct. 25 for a beautiful fall morning along the Esplanade, and they hope the runners and walkers stay for the fun activities, food, music and community.
Pumpkin painting will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis, and there will be 15 vendors offering free samples. These include brands like Polar offering free drinks and Max Ultimate Food providing taste test opportunities.
Max Ultimate Food will be catering the café in Charlesbank, the Esplanade’s first year-round visitor center that is set to open in winter of 2027. The organization will be sharing more information about the center at Fall Fest.
Attendees will also be able to visit food trucks such as like Crepe Shop and Little B’s BBQ. With the community, contests and good eats, Englert hopes this event establishes the Esplanade as a welcoming place for all. What he looks forward to the most is the community impact.
“I love seeing the families and the kids come out, smiles on their faces, feeling like the work that we put into this, which takes a lot of time, makes them feel like the trip was worth it,” Englert said.