Massive corgi party returns to Huntington Dog Beach – Orange County Registry
Kelly and Dan McLemore were just trying to find a few furry friends for Mr. Pickles when they created a beach party that turned into a corgi rave.
Ten years ago, the couple put out a small social media solicitation looking for other corgi families who wanted to spend the afternoon at Huntington Dog Beach. Mr Pickles had just recovered from surgery following a torn ligament and was ready to frolic in the sand and surf.
This first Corgi Beach Day brought about 15 other corgi lovers. Then, the following year, about 100 showed up. Then 500, and so on.
Now over a thousand corgis frolic on a typical Corgi Beach day, with the festival being held again on Saturday April 2, with 28 stalls, food trucks, competitions, entertainment and lots of cuddles. of corgis.
There’s something about this kind of pup that people love, said Kelly McLemore of Lakewood, describing corgis as having the personality of bigger dogs, just in compact bodies.
“They’re smart, they learn tricks quickly, and they’re good family dogs,” she said. “And they have big smiles. I know it sounds funny, but they always seem to be smiling.
Saturday was the first time since 2019 that the beach party had taken place, like so many other events it came to a halt during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic.
Heading into Saturday, McLemore said she was hearing from newbies and people from out of the area that they were planning a trip to the festival.
“It’s totally fun, corgis are awesome,” she said. “We’re having a great time and it’s great to see how much he’s grown over the years.”
Mr. Pickles, who just turned 15, is a celeb at the party. He moves a little slower on the sand these days, but many other corgi owners who have come to know him stop by to say hello and give him a loving pet.
This year’s gathering was themed “Totally ’80s,” with lots of fluorescent colors and puppies decked out in retro costumes. Contests ranged from eating a pie — using dog-friendly foods like pumpkin puree — to musical chairs. And there was a corgi kissing booth.
Corgi Beach Day has partnered since 2013 with a local corgi and corgi mix rescue, Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue, which has helped save over 100 dogs.
If you missed the fun, there are two more corgi events planned this year by the McLemores, who started So Cal Corgi Nation.
The May 29 Corgi Nationals will race corgis on the Santa Anita Park Track and a fall Corgi Beach Day is scheduled for October 29 in Huntington Beach. More information: socalcorgibeachday.com