One weekend every October, the dogs of Savannah go trick-or-treating. At Wag-O-Ween, more than 3,000 people and their costumed dogs follow a map to over 100 local businesses, each handing out its own dog treats, across downtown and the Starland District. It is a fundraiser for local animal rescues: in 2025 the event raised more than $110,000 and supported 16 of them.
It started in 2006 as a small costume parade organized by Sara Portman, owner of a local business called the Canine Palace. Since 2020 it has been carried on by The Hipster Hound and Renegade Paws Rescue, and it is run entirely by volunteers.
The 2026 Weekend
The 21st Annual Wag-O-Ween runs Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25, 2026, from noon to 5 p.m. both days.
A wristband costs $13 per dog and can be bought ahead online. One wristband is needed for each dog taking part, and it is worn by the human. A bundle with a wristband, this year’s T-shirt and a sticker is $44.
There are two hubs. Downtown it is Pulaski Square, on Barnard Street. In the Starland District it is Starland Yard, 2411 De Soto Avenue. You can collect a pre-purchased wristband or register on the day at either one, from noon on both days.
How the Weekend Works
- Pick up your goody bag first. It holds your wristband, goodies from the sponsors, and the event map that shows every treat stop.
- Look for the bone. Participating businesses put a bone-shaped marker outside for the weekend. Each one hands out its own treats, so no two stops are the same.
- Pulaski Square is where the action is. The official photo booth is there, and photos go to a public vote for best costume of the weekend, with free entry next year as the prize. Wiener Races take place in the square throughout both days, and your dog does not have to be a dachshund to enter.
- There are raffles at both hubs. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20, and you do not need to be present to win.
- Treat the two neighborhoods as separate outings. Pulaski Square and Starland Yard are about a mile and a half apart, a drive or a rideshare rather than a walk with a dog in costume. If you are attending both days, doing Downtown one day and Starland the other is an easy way to cover both.
- Bring water. A Savannah afternoon in October can still be warm, and warmer in a costume.
Where to Stay if You Are Bringing Your Dog
East Bay Inn is the only one of our four properties that welcomes dogs as guests, so for anyone entering the weekend rather than watching it, the choice is straightforward. It has 28 rooms in an 1852 building on East Bay Street, one street from the Riverwalk, with exposed brick, tall ceilings and downtown Savannah right outside the door. Children are welcome too, and parking is included in the amenity fee, which is useful for the Sunday trip out to Starland.
Pulaski Square is about a 15-minute walk from the inn, through Johnson, Wright and Chippewa Squares if you take Bull Street, which is as good a costume parade route as any.
Coming to Watch
Plenty of people come to Wag-O-Ween without a dog, for the costumes and to support the rescues. If you’re coming without a dog, distance to Pulaski Square matters more than pet policy. Eliza Thompson House on West Jones Street is the closest of our inns, about four minutes from the square. The Gastonian is about ten minutes away beside Forsyth Park, and Kehoe House a little farther on Columbia Square. All three are adults-only and do not accept pets.
Booking
East Bay Inn is the only property in the collection where your dog can stay, so Wag-O-Ween weekend creates an obvious reason to book early. The Savannah Pride Festival and the opening of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival also fall on the same Saturday.”