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Scenes from Boo-le-Bark on the Boulevard in Athens, Georgia. On Oct. 2, 2022, the Bark on Boulevard costume contest and parade returned. (Photo/Sidney Chansamone, @sid.chansa)

Scenes from Boo-le-Bark on the Boulevard in Athens, Georgia. On Oct. 2, 2022, the Bark on Boulevard costume contest and parade returned. (Photo/Sidney Chansamone, @sid.chansa)

Dogs of all shapes, sizes, colors and types in costumes strutting down the Athens Boulevard neighborhood can only mean one thing — fall has arrived in Athens and has brought Boo-le-Bark with it.

On Sunday afternoon, Athens dog owners and their furry friends put on their best costumes and hit the boulevard for Boo-le-Bark’s annual costume contest and parade. An event to support Athenspets, Boo-le-Bark on the Boulevard not only supports a good cause, it gives the community and their dogs a chance to socialize while soaking in the fall weather.

Athenspets is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the animals of Athens through volunteer work. The organization helps socialize with and care for shelter animals, including ones from Athens-Clarke County Animal Services.

Dogs from ACC Animal Services were walking near the front of the parade as their handlers guided them past onlookers. The dogs were up for adoption and in search of their new forever homes.

Pat Schlotzhauer, a retiree and third-year volunteer at Boo-le-Bark, gushed when talking about the event and its cause.

“Athenspets pays for neutering, helps with foster care, medication for the animals, sometimes boarding,” Schlotzhauer said. “Things that the dogs need at the shelter that normally Clarke County can’t pay for.”

Schlotzhauer’s favorite part of Boo-le-Bark is one that most can agree with — the dogs and their imaginative costumes.

For the costume contest, Boo-le-Bark announces a theme for the contestants to follow each year. This year’s theme was “Georgia on Our Minds.” While following the theme is not required, contestants can get extremely creative with their costumes. The canine fashion of the day consisted of mermaids, musicians, M&M’s and many other creative ensembles.

Meredith Drury, manager of the vintage clothing store Community, and her Jack Russell Terrier mix, Chip, placed first in the Best Theme Costume category. Chip was dressed as a “Georgia Grown Sweet Vidalia Onion.”

After living in Athens for years and always wanting to join in on the fun, Drury decided that this was the year. She created the award-winning costume last minute when she decided to enter Chip in the contest.

“Georgia on my mind is kind of a tricky theme,” Drury said. “To be honest, an onion seemed pretty doable for a day's notice.”

Along with the costume contest and parade, Boo-le-Bark had many organizations, vendors and food trucks present such as animal sanctuary Vincent’s Place, Jack’s Cheesecake and Rashe’s Cuisine. There was also live music from the New Horizons band and music flowing from surrounding neighborhoods thanks to Historic Athens Porchfest.

The event seemed to be an overall success and the turnout was a mix of participants, canine companions and people there to show their support and witness the fun.

The annual Boo-le-Bark parade and costume contest returned to Athens on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. The event supported Athenspets, an organization …

The Complexions Contemporary Ballet company performed at the University of Georgia’s Fine Arts Theatre on Thursday and Friday. The dancers also performed twice through the Piedmont Athens Regional Performances for Young People program, designed for K-12 students.

In late October, weeks of casting calls, auditions, rehearsals and late nights will culminate in the opening of “The Rocky Horror Show.” Hosted by the University Union Student Programming Board, the shows on Oct. 20-23 are set to be nights of eclectic fashion, catchy songs and colorful humor.

Nestled near the Normaltown neighborhood of Athens near the end of Savannah Avenue, there’s a small black house with a cozy porch and a hearse parked out front. The owner of the house is hard to miss, as he matches his home perfectly, dressed in all black with a full face of Goth makeup. Vision Video performed on his own porch on Sunday for the 2022 Historic Athens Porchfest.  

No one knows exactly how many several-minute standing ovations have been given at the historic Morton Theatre. However many it may be, two more were added to the list with the Athens’ Area Paine College Alumni Association and Etheridge Arts Ensemble’s performance of August Wilson’s “Jitney” this weekend.

The Athens-Clarke County Library on Baxter Street will remain closed through the week after bed bugs were found in a chair in the building last Thursday, Sept. 29. The Athens Regional Library System announced in a press release on Oct. 3 that it will reopen on Sunday, Oct. 9.

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