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Pet Costume Contest Highlights Fifth-Annual Bed-Stuy Summer Festival

 Two participants in the Bed-Stuy Pet-Stuy contest. The contest comes to the Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association Summerfest this year.
Two participants in the Bed-Stuy Pet-Stuy contest. The contest comes to the Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association Summerfest this year.
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Facebook/Madeline Pet Clothier

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A summer festival in Bed-Stuy celebrating Tompkins Avenue businesses will mark its fifth year with music, dancing — and a pet costume contest.

The Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association Summerfest kicks off Saturday with Bed-Stuy Pet-Stuy, a contest to crown the best-dressed and most talented pets in the neighborhood.

Pet-Stuy was started in 2007 by local resident Madeline Smith, who said she organized it on a dare from her daughter after watching the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Smith said she's held the contest every year since then in Fulton Park, where animals sashayed down the catwalk dressed in skirts, clown costumes and punk rock duds.

This year she teamed up with organizers to bring Pet-Stuy to Summerfest.

"It's a community event, a feel-good event about promoting our pets," Smith said. "It's just a lot of fun."

The winners will receive gift certificates to Peaches Hothouse, the Halsey Street Grill and Bed-Vyne Wine.

Each summer, TAMA and Bridge Street Development Corporation shut down Tompkins Avenue between Hancock Street and Putnam Avenue to celebrate businesses on the commercial corridor, like Bed-Vyne Wine and Brew, Common Grounds Cafe and other shops.

In addition to this year's pet contest, the festival also features live music, food, mural painting, childrens book reading and a human fashion show.

"The merchants are coming out in full force this year," said Kenneth Mbonu from Bridge Street. "Last year was packed. This year, we're looking to double the crowd."

TAMA Summerfest starts this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and continues next Saturday at the same time.