Hundreds of corgis will take over this Oregon beach town

Prepare yourself for a stampede of stubby legs and floofy butts, as hundreds of costumed corgis descend on Seaside for the 11th annual Corgi Beach Takeover.

The event is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 29, at the beach area south of Second Avenue and north of the Broadway Street roundabout in Seaside. All proceeds benefit the Oregon Humane Society.

This year’s beach day theme is “Hello, Corgi, Let’s go Party!” so expect plenty of Barbie-themed corgi costumes.

Tickets are $10 (it’s a fundraiser after all) and include a commemorative Corgi Beach Takeover sticker and access to sign up as a participant in the corgi races and costume contest.

The Portland Corgi Meetup Group, which meets monthly at dog parks around the Portland area, held the first corgi beach day in 2013 in Cannon Beach.

“It started out as just 30 of us getting together out at Cannon Beach to just have fun with our dogs at the beach,” said organizer Jennifer Robinson. “Year two was the same thing, we just did it as a meetup. But in year two, instead of 30 people, suddenly it was 70 people. And I found out that year, oops, we’re supposed to have a permit if we have more than 50 people in a group.”

At that point, Robinson looked to morph the meetup into a fundraiser, and the Oregon Humane Society enthusiastically got on board. The third annual Corgi Beach Takeover, now an official public event, drew about 500 attendees and raised about $1,300 for the animal welfare nonprofit.

Over the years, the event became so popular that it outgrew the Cannon Beach location. Last year’s Corgi Beach Takeover — held for the first time in Seaside — drew 518 corgis, more than 1,100 people and raised $17,121.

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi are breeds of herding dog known for their stubby legs, which are useful for nipping at the heels of cattle without getting kicked or trampled. The name corgi is derived from the Welsh words for “dwarf” and “dog.”

“They are very good listeners, and a lot of that is just inherent because of the fact that they’re a herding dog,” Robinson said. “They do miraculously get along very well. It’s very rare for us to have any kind of an issue at our event. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen 500 corgis in one place at one time, but it is the cutest thing you will ever see in your entire life.”

Corgis can enter the Beach Takeover costume contest in one of four themed categories: “Corgi Beach Party,” “Mattel Toy,” “Dynamic Duo” (for an owner and corgi matching outfit) and “Anything Goes.”

Corgi races are limited to the first 128 dogs registered the morning of the event. The races take place in heats of eight corgis each, along racing lanes about 30 feet long.

“They’re actually surprisingly fast for their short little legs,” Robinson said.

Because the event takes place on a public beach, tickets are not required to attend, but they are required to participate in the corgi contests. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or day-of using cash or card.

A few other notes for attendees: Owners must pick up after their pets and are responsible for the safety and conduct of their animals. Dogs don’t need to be leashed the entire time, but they must be under an owner’s supervision and be promptly leashed at the request of a park employee or event coordinator.

Public parking is available at 120 Oceanway St., but expect large crowds and be open to looking for further parking.

There will not be food or beverages for sale at the event. Bring your own or buy locally from a number of Seaside vendors. Don’t forget sunscreen and water!

Corgi-themed merch will be for sale at the event by cash or card (or can be purchased in advance online).