2026 Kid's Doll and Pet Parade

 

79TH ANNUAL DOLL AND PET PARADE 

Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
Theme: Celebrating 250 Years of America
Owen Park, Eau Claire, WI

 

The Kid's Doll and Pet Parade has been an Eau Claire tradition for 79 years! Children, along with their friends, families, and pets, are the true stars of the Doll and Pet Parade. There is no fee to march in the parade, and awards are given for creative costumes. 

 

Registration

Registration begins at 10:30 AM at the Owen Park tennis courts. FREE
You are able to pre-register until noon on Tuesday, May 25th. Click here to pre-register. If you do pre-register, please check in at the registration table to get a bib number and sign a release. 

Eligibility

Children ages 0-12 are the official stars of this parade, but they can bring their parents, family, friends, and toys to march with them. 
 

Parade Route

The parade starts at 11:00 AM, and runs from the Owen Park tennis courts, down the walking path along the Eau Claire River, to the Sarge Boyd Band Shell. At the band shell, each child will be announced, viewed by our judges, and then given a gift bag. 
 

Prizes

Once the parade concludes, there will be prizes for creative costumes, and door prizes. We are also giving away two grand prizes: a boy's bike and a girl's bike. 
 

Funds

Clear Water Kiwanis raises funds to support many non-profit organizations in our community that assist children. Proceeds from sponsorships of the Doll and Pet Parade are used for this purpose. A few of the organizations supported by Clear Water include the Eau Claire Homeless Program, North High School Scholarships, Drug Endangered Children Program, Feed My People Kid's Meals, Eau Claire Children's Museum, Junior Achievement, Power of Perception, ECASD Clothing Closet, ECASD Foster Care Fund, ECASD Backpack Program, Community Table, Fierce Freedom, and Girls on the Run. 
 
  1. Open to all participants 12 and under. 
  2. All children can register the day of the parade for door prizes.
  3. Small, battery-operated vehicles allowed.
  4. Entrants will be judged on originality, child participation, theme, and quality of construction.
  5. All decisions by judges are final. 
  6. Candy can be handed out, but not thrown. 
  7. All pet vaccinations must be up to date.

GRAND ANIMAL OF THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY

Is your animal the grandest animal of the Chippewa Valley? Here is your chance to prove that your animal is the best!  

The parade is led by our Grand Animal of the Chippewa Valley, an animal selected in a contest that raises funds to support the parade, as well as other non-profit organizations in our community. In the past, the Grand Animal has been a goat, a guinea pig (which rode in a golf cart at the beginning of our parade) and a dog. If you would like your animal to lead the parade, check out the details below for the Grand Animal. 

 

Grand Animal of the Chippewa Valley
Grand Animal of the Chippewa Valley is an online, vote-driven popularity contest to raise funds for the Clear Water Kiwanis Club in support of local programs that benefit children and youth. The contest is open to all animals and toys, not just dogs and cats. Goats, horses, turtles, teddy bears, dolls, sheep, pigs, etc., are all eligible to become the Grand Animal of the Chippewa Valley. The only requirement is that the winner must be free to lead the Doll and Pet Parade on Saturday, May 30. 

How do I Enter?

  1. Go to the official website www.gogophotocontest.com/ClearWaterGrandAnimal and follow the directions to upload a picture of your animal. There is no fee to enter.
  2. Photo of animal only (no people).
  3. Photo needs to be sharp and in focus.
  4. Include a short statement as to why your entry is the grandest. 
  5. Include your contact information (name, phone number, and email) to be used if you are the contest winner.  
  6. Voting runs through May 25th. 

How is the winner selected?

Members of the public will have the ability to vote on their favorite animal. The entry with the most votes in the contest wins. Winner will be selected prior to the parade. 

How do I vote?

  1. Go to www.gogophotocontest.com/ClearWaterGrandAnimal starting in May.
  2. Each vote is $1.00. Vote as often as you wish. For example, if you wish Pete's Python to get 50 votes, your payment would be $50.
  3. You can vote for multiple entries, but each vote is $1.00.
  4. Encourage your friends and family to vote often!
Clear Water Kiwanis
The Grand Animal of the Chippewa Valley is sponsored by the Clear Water Kiwanis Club of Eau Claire in conjunction with the Kid's Doll and Pet Parade. Clear Water Kiwanis is a group of approximately 50 members dedicated to serving children and families in our community. Some of the projects Clear Water supports include: scholarships, e-Tablets for autistic students, Family Resource Center, Feed My People, Children's Museum of Eau Claire, Wisconsin Logging Museum (formerly Paul Bunyan Museum & Camp), Girls on the Run, LE Phillips Memorial Public Library, Community Table, etc. 

Clear Water Kiwanis would like to thank the following sponsors for helping support this annual Eau Claire tradition!

  • WEAU 13 News
  • Royal Credit Union
  • McDonough Manufacturing Company
  • Eau Claire Municipal Band

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

PO Box 347 Eau Claire, WI 54702
Secretary: 715-829-0562
On Facebook: ClearWaterKiwanis
Fax: 715-834-3968 ATTN: Clear Water Kiwanis
Email: clearwaterkiwanisinfo@gmail.com