Attend the 134th Annual Westminster Dog Show in New York City

Here’s a fun game: just yesterday on USA Travel Guide we featured Mardi Gras 2010, coming to a Big Easy near you on February 16. Today we’re talking about the Westminster Kennel Club Annual Dog Show, coming to a Big Apple near you also on February 16. Over-the-top parades and wall-to-wall energy on this side, really well-brushed dogs on the other. Oh man, which do you choose?

Thanks to the all-encompassing reach of blogdom, I don’t have to.

The 134^th Annual Westminster Dog Show is barely a month away, the tickets are in the mail, and you’re going to need a place to stay. Blending brand comfort with upscale sensibility, we recommend the Crowne Plaza Times Square Hotel. They’re offering reasonable off-season rates at the moment, and they’re located less than a mile from Madison Square Garden. If you’re competing, the Crowne Plaza is also pet-friendly.

134^th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show
Widely considered the most prestigious dog show in the United States, the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show first ran its competitors in that silly circle all the way back in 1877. Ever since, the Westminster has grown only larger and more competitive, and today the judges inspect 2,500 dogs and 173 breeds throughout the two-day contest.

I’ll be honest; my favorite thing about dog shows is that by virtue of their existence they gave the world Best in Show, mockumentarian Christopher Guest’s magnum opus about dog shows and the people who compete in them. There’s no more enjoyable dog show experience than riffing the whole event in the style of Fred Willard’s daffy color commentator.

But if you’re really into the competition, expect back-to-back days of hushed crowds, intense faces, massive fanfare and shiny but otherwise oblivious animals. Show up during the day, Monday and Tuesday, for individual breed competitions and certainly stick around Tuesday evening for the anticipated Best in Show announcement, scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The 134^th Annual Westminster Dog Show will be held February 15-16, 2010 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. General admission tickets are still available through Ticketmaster, but will sell out soon. Learn about the show here, or find tickets here.

Have fun!

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