On Sunday, Tyson’s Biergarten played host to an event called Corgtoberfest—yes, that’s a combination of “corgi” and “Oktoberfest”—and both the big-eared dogs and steins of German beer were present in large numbers. This was the fourth edition of “Derpin’ in DC,” the largest annual corgi meet-up in the area. It did not disappoint.
The day began with a Halloween costume contest for the corgis—favorites included lobster, superman, and yellow submarine get-ups—followed by the main event, the corgi races. Corgis young and old charged across the several-yard stretch, kicking up dust in their paths and impressing onlookers with their speed and determination. First place went to a five-year-old purebred named Butters, belonging to Edda Wong from Ashburn.
Also in attendance at Corgtoberfest were several Instagram-famous corgis, like DC-based Moogle (10,600 followers), Wally (120,000 followers), and Navy (21,300 followers). Christon Halkiotis even drove up from North Carolina just to make sure her star corgi, Orso, (39,700 followers) could enjoy this special day’s festivities.
The event wrapped up with a raffle featuring all sorts of corgi- and other dog-related gifts. For every Corgtoberfest attendee, the beer garden donated $2 to Derpin’ in DC’s founders, who will give the funds to Queen’s Best Stumpy Dog Rescue. For now, though, enjoy the corgis.
Former editorial fellow Erica Sloan is now an editorial assistant at Martha Stewart Weddings and Martha Stewart Living.
