On October 21 of this year, 638 Corgis swarmed Ocean Beach in San Francisco, CA. This is a semiannual meetup of corgis where the pups can get a chance to socialize with other dogs in the form of licks and butt sniffs, as well as an opportunity for their owners to meet fellow corgi enthusiasts and other owners. All this while competing in games, obstacle courses, an “attempt” at a group photo, all this in the sand clad in costumes, sunglasses, pirate hats, and fancy outfits.
The event kickoff started at 10 a.m. with a sign in, and an attempt at a group photo with all the owners and their dogs. This group photo, along with the sign in, helps the event organizers get a head count on the number of owners with their corgis at this year’s fall event. According to Corgi Con’s website, over 600 corgis showed up this time, with over 1,500 corgi enthusiasts and fans alike. The amount this fall, however, did not break any records, with this year’s summer Corgi Con in June having over 938 show up, making it the largest ever Corgi Con to date.
With corgis of all different shapes, sizes, and colors, there were many activities for the dogs themselves. The event featured an agility course, in its form of corgi ninja warrior. The owners themselves attempt to guide their little loaves of fur through hoops, over hurdles, and into tunnels in a mini obstacle course. The crowd around them cheered with “awwws” and laughs everywhere as the corgis stubbornly made their way through.
The Corgi Con not only featured a full-length obstacle course but also had many different vendors present selling everything corgi related, from corgi pins, corgi plushies, corgi blankets, to corgi butt pillows, merchandised to the corgi fan’s. It also included an adoption center by Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue which allowed you to rescue special needs corgi dogs and corgi mixes.
At 1 p.m. the convention finally wrapped things up with a costume contest and a mini race, featuring the hottest pups all around, which not only included corgis but other dogs as well. The costume race featured dogs in various outfits. The outfits included sushi, a dinosaur, a Chinese dragon, Thor, Superman, and a Sailor Moon.
The race featured the fastest and the most agile of the group of corgis, as they quickly waddled across the sandy straightaway, with some stubbornly staying next to their owners, some running in circles, and others running in many different directions.
“I thought it was a good thing because it was a positive environment for everyone, both the dogs and the people surrounding them,” a student of SFSU, an attendee of Corgi Con, and a dog enthusiast herself, Daisy Araiza stated. “It was a very welcoming and wholesome environment for their families and a great way for dogs to socialize with other dogs and release their energy.”