The La Conner Thrives Association hosted their third annual Daffodil Pet Parade and Pet Pageant in La Conner on April 5.
The pageant, held at Gilkey Square, was the place to see some of the “best dressed” and the “cutest pets’’ around.
“The energy around it was intense in a delightful way,” said Conner Thrives Association Executive Director Nicky McGarity. “It was such a joyful community event.”
This year, McGarity shared, the pageant updated the production adding a red carpet, and Paw-parazzi. Pageant winners received gift cards donated by La Conner Pets. Petco also donated gift bags to all the pageant participants.
La Conner Mayor Marna Hanneman judged the competition.
“It was a little nerve-racking because I’m a pet person, it was really hard to pick,” Hanneman said.
There were about 40 pets (dogs and cats) that registered for this year’s contest. Most of the competitors were dogs, but the cats that competed held their own, McGarity said.
First place went to Sadie, a 7-year-old black and white Bernedoodle and Bree, a 9-month-old brown Cavapoo puppy. Sadie was previously a service dog. Owners Kim and Russ Winegar said this was the dogs’ first pageant, but Sadie walked in the parade last year. On Saturday, the dogs wore costumes that included butterfly wings, collars with daffodils attached, and bumblebee antennae (the owners admitted they couldn’t find butterfly antennae). The dogs are best friends, Kim said. They live in Shelter Bay and love to walk the La Conner boardwalk every day.
“They will be barking about the win all year,” Kim said. “They are so honored to win and it feels amazing.”
Second place winners Kiwi and Peppa are French Bulldogs from La Conner. They’re both enjoying life after retiring from breeding, said owner Erin Mallery. They don’t typically like wearing costumes, but they didn’t mind the cowboys riders that they wore in the pageant because they weren’t in the way too much. The dogs and their owners also walked in the pet parade. Mallery’s son, Levi Gitomer, 6, and daughter, Vivienne Gitomer, 9, led the dogs on the red carpet for the pet pageant. Mallery said winning made the dogs “feel like champions.”
Photo by Sarah Walls/Cedarbook Studio
Vasco, a 10-year-old Mexican Street Dog, won third place. Vasco entered the pageant thanks to owner Mike Ritchie’s niece, Ika Phillips, 8, a second grader at La Conner Elementary.
This was Vasco’s first pet pageant, however, he walked in the pet parade last year and (again this year). He loves “whatever you’re eating” and he makes a great foot warmer because he likes to lay on feet. He was really looking forward to getting out of his outfit (bunny ears and a handmade daffodil collar crafted by Ika and Katey Ritchie).
Congrats to all the winners and pets that participated in the 2025 Pet Pageant.
More Pet Parade & Pageant Photos
Photos by Sarah Walls/Cedarbrook Studio
Mabel Baird is a sixth grader at Meadows Montessori in Ferndale. Her mom is La Conner Community News Managing Editor Staci Baird. Mabel liked reporting for this story because she got to interview and pet a lot of dogs!
