Word on the
Street
Only four weeks now until our fourth annual Mutts Off Main event on July 11, when almost 1,000 local residents, both young and old, bring their favorite mutts to Kincaid Avenue and check out the day’s downtown doggie extravaganza.
The Sumner Downtown Association is partnering with Ascension Productions and the Old Cannery to produce a fun-filled opening ceremony that kids of all ages will be sure to enjoy. If you like the “101 Dalmatians” movie, then you’re going to love the Old Cannery fire truck that will arrive with a real dalmatian dog passenger, followed by Madame DeVille chauffeured by Mayor Dave Enslow in his 1930 REO “gangster” car. OK, maybe it’s not a gangster car, but it sure reminds me of one and is perfect for Madame DeVille’s dramatic entrance.
Here’s a list of the day’s events: 10 a.m., opening ceremony; 10:15, It’s a Dog’s World agility demonstration; 10:35, local pet services and public announcements;
10:40, Dashing Doxie Race; 10:50, best-dressed dog contest; 11, Pet Communicator; 11:20, Mutt & Master lookalike contest; 11:30, carting demonstration and Rally-0; noon, Main Street Mutt Parade; 12:15 p.m., best dog tricks contest; 12:30, hot dog eating dontest at the gazebo; 12:45, animal blessings; 1:15, dog contests, celebrity lookalike, tallest, shortest; 1:40, Dog’s World agility demonstrations; 2, closing ceremony and the Bark and Bubble.
That’s right, the Dashing Doxie race, the hot dog eating contest and the high noon Mutt Parade are all back. Now’s a great time to start on those “mutt and master” or celebrity lookalike costumes and we’ll also be hosting Tinkle Town once again and giving out stickers for dogs who use it to go potty. And if you’re reading this and know of someone who owns a dalmatian that would like to participate in the opening ceremony, be sure to call me and let me know at 253-702-9846. We’d love to include as many as possible.
At the gazebo stage in Heritage Park you’ll hear plenty of doggie songs throughout the day and our major event sponsor, It’s a Dog’s World, will be hosting their agility course in the park lawn again. Sumner’s Animal Control Department will also be at the event and hosting a booth for licensing and dog chipping. This year we’re also encouraging all our younger visitors to submit their favorite doggie jokes to be read on stage for our pet loving crowd. I can hardly wait to hear what those will be like. Our closing ceremonies which start at 2 p.m. and include the “Bark and Bubble” will include handing out bubble bottles for the day’s participants to partake in the festivities.
With this kind of a scheduled lineup, it’s sure to be another fun day in our downtown park. Many thanks to It’s a Dog’s World, the Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse, Ascension Productions and Mayor Enslow for partnering with SDA for another fun community event. It’s just one more reason people think it’s fun to spend some time in Sumner.
