Golden Retriever meetup on Boston Common canceled due to city’s Marathon Weekend rule
This year’s MA Golden Meetups event has been canceled after the city told organizers that they would not be permitting additional special events.
Special event organizers are changing their plans after the city told them that Boston Common was unavailable for special event reservations.
MA Golden Meetups, which has hosted an annual Golden Retriever meetup at Boston Common since 2023, announced on Facebook earlier this month that this year’s event was canceled.
“We know many of you are looking forward to a Boston Marathon meetup, as these events are beloved to so many, however the city of Boston is not allowing special events that weekend on the Common this year,” the organization wrote in the post.
The annual meetup was created to honor Spencer, a Golden Retriever who became a celebrity in 2018 and was named the official dog of the Boston Marathon in 2022. For seven years, Spencer appeared along the marathon course with Boston Strong flags in his mouth to cheer on runners. In February 2023, Spencer died from canine cancer after being diagnosed in 2021.
As part of the Golden Strong movement, the event raised money for the Morris Animal Foundation’s hemangiosarcoma and canine cancer research.
The City of Boston is not permitting additional special events on Boston Common during Marathon Weekend because the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) already has a permit, according to a representative from the Boston Parks and Recreation Department.
Throughout the weekend, the BAA will be holding “race-related activities, including setup and breakdown,” the representative said.
People are still allowed to gather in Boston Common “as long as they remain outside fenced or roped-off areas,” according to the representative.
Though special events will not be permitted, the city is offering alternative locations to host special events, the representative said. Residents can reach out at [email protected] for details about the permitting process.
Despite the cancellation, MA Golden Meetups said they plan to host other special events in 2025.
Commenters on the Facebook post were hopeful that MA Golden Meetups could host the event in other towns along the Boston Marathon route, including Brookline, Newton, and Hopkinton. While many potential attendees were disappointed, others approached the cancellation with a sense of humor.
“Can everyone just randomly show up to walk our pups? At say 11:00am??” one commenter said.
MA Golden Meetups did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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