Corgi Beach Day: The Biggest Corgi “Pawty” On The Planet
A day filled with sun, fun, and friendly dog contests.
On Saturday, April 1, hundreds of dog lovers gathered at Huntington Beach to attend the Corgi Beach Day. Thousands of pet enthusiasts brought their companions to compete in contests and play with each other. The event’s website described the Beach Day as the “biggest corgi pawty on the planet.”
The festival hosted a variety of corgi contests, welcoming canine-lovers and dogs of all breeds. Gourmet food trucks, interactive experiences, and dozens of vendors selling pet-themed merchandise were also featured.
The competitions began at 10:30 a.m. with the Cutest Cardigan Corgi Contest. Owners lead their dogs one-by-one down a small runway set up in the main arena. After each of the candidates performed, they lined up on the platform and the audience cast their vote by cheering as loudly as they could for their preferred contestant.
The winner of the first contest is Popcorn. Owner Christina Pruchyanimit said that Popcorn attended the Cutest Corgi contest twice before, but this was his first time winning.
“I’m so excited,” said Pruchyanimit. “At first we weren’t going to join but changed our minds at the last minute. Popcorn has done it before, but he never won, so this win was very surprising.”
The event continued with the Corgi Musical Chairs. As pop music played from the speakers, each owner walked their leashed dog around in a circle. When the music stopped, the owner commanded their corgi to sit. The last dog standing was eliminated, and the contest continued until only one winner was left.
The lucky pup who took home the Musical Chairs trophy is Kilo. His human partner, Cynthia Lasley, said Kilo belongs to her friend Josephine Sosa.
“My dog won’t listen to me, and Josephine’s dog won’t listen to her,” she said. “Kilo and I make great partners.”
Lasley has been attending the biannual Corgi Beach Day event since 2014. This year marked the third time Kilo participated in the Musical Chairs contest, and his first time winning. “It was fantastic! When it got down to two people I started to really hope” said Lasley.
The corgi tournaments continued until 2:30 p.m. The games included the Best Momo (AKA Corgi Butt) Contest, the Best Corgi Costume Contest, and the Corgi Coconut Cream Pie Eating Contest. The Best Costume Contest consisted of two parts: the Tiki Theme and the Anything Goes Theme.
The winner of the Best Costume Contest was Mazi, dressed in a bright blue loofah outfit adorned with plastic bubbles. “This is our third costume win,” said owner Traci Blue. “We just really enjoy this community, and Mazi loves competing.”
The Corgi Beach Day came to an end at 2:50 p.m. with the Bacon Bubble Spectacular. Festival attendees enjoyed a last minute hang-out as thousands of bacon flavored bubbles blew out of machines set up in the main competition area.
The next SoCal Corgi affair is the 2023 Corgi Nationals, which will take place on Sunday, May 28 at the Santa Anita Park. In addition to dog races, the Corgi Nationals will feature corgi-centric vendors, carnival rides, and lots of pet and family-friendly activities. More information on SoCal Corgi festivals can be found at socalcorgibeachday.com/events.
