by Joan Pringle
With his owner by his side, a little dog jumps through a hoop in the obstacle course at the 2008 Bark in the Park Dog Festival. This year’s festival is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Storvik Park.
Get ready to howl at the fifth annual Bark in the Park Dog Festival 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Storvik Park, 1110 32nd Street.
“We hope to have a wonderful festival,” said event organizer Amy Terhune with Fidalgo Islanders for Dogs Off-leash or FIDO. All donations benefit the Anacortes off-leash dog area going in at the new Ace of Hearts Creek Rotary Park at 38th Street and H Avenue.
At last year’s festival, more than 300 dogs showed up for such events as a dog parade, demos, contests, games, food and vendor booths. The contests will range from best costume and best tail wag to peanut butter eating and a bark and howl competition followed by an “All Bark Choir.”
New this year will be a round of musical chairs. Dog owners will not be allowed to sit until their dogs do and if Rover decides to stand up again the owner has to follow, giving others the chance to take the chair.
Also different is the “Strut your Stuff” contest, a talent show of sorts that integrates past competitions into one big event. Dogs and their persons can do tricks, share how they look alike or bring out any talents they have hidden.
“Anything your dog can do or be part of,” Terhune said.
Demonstrations will be presented throughout the day, including agility, team obedience and rally obedience demos by Catch the Wave Dog Training and Bell Vernon Kennel Association, a flyball demo by Cascade Comets Dog Sports Team and a dancing dogs demo by the Emerald City K-9 Freestyle Dancers.
Dogs and their owners will also be able to participate in an All Joyful Dogs Parade sponsored by Joyful Dog Training, cake walks, hot dog and tennis ball bobbing pools, obstacle courses, “In the Dog House” photos and raffle drawings. Goodie bags and bandanas go to the first 200 dogs for a $5 event entry donation. Organizers will also be asking $5 for contest entry fees and $1 for the cake walk.
More than 40 vendors are signed up to attend, including Walker’s Healthy Pet, Petco and PetSmart. Two authors, Val Mallinson and Brenda Bryan, will also be on hand signing and selling their books. Mallinson’s “The Dog Lover’s Companion to the Pacific Northwest: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog” lists and talks about dog-friendly places in the region, and Bryan’s “Barking Buddha: Simple Soul Stretches for Yogi and Dogi” teaches how to practice yoga with a dog.
Sponsors of the event include Cap Sante Inn, Sebo’s Hardware, Sunnyhill Kennels & Cattery and Blue Cow Car & Dog Wash.
This will be the last Bark in the Park Festival before the new off-leash dog area opens at the Ace of Hearts park. After several years of volunteer efforts and donations, the park is scheduled to open July 11. For the past three years, dog owners have been using space at Ninth Street and Q Avenue temporarily until the property owner begins a condo project.
The park will include a 1.5-acre fenced dog run when it opens and eventually a Little League ball field, restrooms, gazebo and benches. The area has an extensive wetland and pond system and will soon have a completed walking trail around the perimeter. The dog area has a watering station and dog wash area.
Saturday’s festival is one of the main fundraisers for the dog area along with fence plaques and engraved bricks.
The park is coming together through the efforts of FIDO, the city of Anacortes and the Anacortes (Noon) Rotary Club, which has worked hard to get the dog area open, Terhune said.
For more information, go to http://www.AnacortesDogPark.com or contact Terhune at 588-8749 or .
A link to photo galleries of this year’s event and previous Bark in the Park festivals will be posted at the Web site shortly after the event.
Bark in the Park Dog Festival
9:30 a.m. Dog bandanas, goodie bags available for a $5 donation to first 200 dogs
10 a.m. Welcome
10:10 a.m. Parade of All Joyful Dogs
10:30 a.m. Canine cake walk and first raffle drawing
10:40 a.m. Agility demo
11:00 a.m. Best costume contest
11:15 a.m. Bark and howl contest
11:30 a.m. Team obedience demo
11:50 a.m. Best tail wag contest
12:10 p.m. ‘Strut your stuff’ contest
12:30 p.m. Flyball demo
12:50 p.m. Anacortes Animal Control Officer Marie Padovan and dog Ryder show their stuff
1:10 p.m. Dancing dogs demo
1:30 p.m. Canine cake walk
1:40 p.m. Adoptable dog parade
2:00 p.m. Rally obedience demo
2:20 p.m. Peanut butter eating contest
2:50 p.m. Canine cake walk
3:00 p.m. Grand prize raffle drawing
