"It's like an instant antidepressant" - Massive dog festival comes to East Village this weekend
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'It's like an instant antidepressant,' said Jordan Illingworth, the event coordinator. 'It just brings so much joy to people. Even if you don't have a dog and you just love dogs, it's definitely an event that you want to attend.'
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The festival, which was formerly known as Pet-A-Palooza, takes place Saturday and Sunday on 8 Avenue SE between 4 and 6 Street. Originating in Victoria, the event has expanded to six cities across North America. This year marks the event's 11th year in Calgary.
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'We normally see anywhere from 10 to 15 thousand people over the weekend,' she said. 'The weather, I think, is going to be great for dogs – a little bit cooler, which is really nice.'
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Seeing the growth of some of the festival's partner organizations over the last 13 year, she said, has been a major highlight.
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'When we started, a lot of people were doing certain businesses as a side-hustle,' she said. 'Watching them grow and make this their full time job, and, and then travel with us around the country … It's just a really nice feeling seeing how successful they've become.'
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Those who have attended in the past will find new and exciting things to do and see at this year's festival, including several seven-foot balloon dog installations throughout the area, and a variety of new contests for dogs to take part in.
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'We've got a pie eating contest, so it's essentially a pup cup on a plate, and dogs will compete to see who can finish that the fastest,' Illingworth said. 'We also have the most impressive snaggletooth contest – we'll be crowning Calgary's most impressive snaggle tooth.'
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The wiener dog races, which are a staple of the festival, will also feature the crowning of Calgary's 'biggest, smallest and hairiest wiener' this year, she said.
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