There's nothing cuter than seeing little kids decked out in cool costumes...except, perhaps, dogs done up in fancy duds. Before I became a mom, I always looked forward to dressing up my pup, Hamlet, during the Halloween season. Now my son and I both enjoy this annual tradition. Over the years, our dog has been a skunk, Dracula and a grape, but frankly, these get-ups are pretty tame compared to some of the wild and creative outfits we've seen at NYC's many Halloween pet parades and costume contests.

Of course, you don't need to have a dog to enjoy these costumed canine extravaganzas, everyone is invited to gawk and "awwww." We found a handful of Halloween happenings for hounds in all five boroughs, so hit these parades to see who's really top dog.

You can find lots more season fun in our jam-packed Halloween Guide.