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Calgary Herald

"It's like an instant antidepressant" - Massive dog festival comes to East Village this weekend

More than 10,000 people and their dogs will be gathering in Calgary's East Village for the Day of the Dog, a massive, free-to-attend pet festival that features dog races, a puppy pool party, photo booths, contests and vendors. Article content '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.' Article content Article content Article content 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. Article content Article content '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.' Article content Seeing the growth of some of the festival's partner organizations over the last 13 year, she said, has been a major highlight. Article content Article content '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.' Article content 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. Article content '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.' Article content 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.